Country England Churchmanship Modern Catholic Status Active Phone +44 20 7226 4108 | Denomination Church of England Website Church website Address Prebend St, London N1, UK | |
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Location Islington, London, N1 8PF Similar Our Most Holy Redeemer, Christ Church Highbury, St Mary\'s Church - Islington, St Mark\'s Church - Myddelto, St Mary Magdalene Church Profiles | ||
St James' Church, Islington is a parish church in the inner London borough of Islington. It is located on Prebend Street between Essex Road and the New North Road. The Clothworkers' Company of the City of London built St James' Church, Islington at the same time as it built the surrounding housing estate. The church was designed by the Clothworkers' Company's architect, F.W. Porter and was consecrated in 1875.
The church was built as the successor to the 16th century Lambe's Chapel in Monkswell Street in the City of London, in Cripplegate Ward and Farringdon Ward Within. Today the West wall of St James' Church, Islington contains a half figure of William Lambe, dated 1612, after whom Lambe's chapel was named. King Henry the VIII gave William Lambe the land on which Lambe's Chapel was built when he dissolved the Garendon Monastery. William Lambe became Master of the Company of Clothworkers in 1569 and in 1577 gave the chapel to the Clothworkers' Company. The original Lambe's Chapel was pulled down in 1825, after which a new chapel was built, together with a number of almshouses, only to be finally demolished in 1872. The British Museum has a watercolour sketch dated 15 May 1851 of the same half figure of William Lambe from when it was located in the "Chapel of the Clothworkers' Almshouses, Cripplegate".
Pevsner's architectural guide notes the "Good E[ast] window by Lavers & Baraud" at St James' Church, Islington, and a small window in the north aisle contains a few fragments of stained glass from the former Lambe's Chapel.
Members of the congregation of St James's, Islington were in the past instrumental in helping set up 'Shelter from the storm', London's only free homeless shelter that is open all year round and funded by donations alone.
Today the Islington Proms organisation holds an annual series of mainly classical concerts exclusively at St James's Church, Islington.
The congregation of St James's Church, Islington is extremely diverse, reflecting the community in which it is based. A part of the Church of England, the style of worship is 'modern catholic', with a balance of familiar and more contemporary hymns.