Church Row
In a city such as London, famed for its architectural and cultural brilliance, there must be something extremely special for a particular road or street to be commonly seen as one of the prettiest in the entire city. This level of common acceptance of beauty, however, is indeed populated by an area within London named Church Row, in the borough of Hampstead. While beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder, Church Row most definitely offers plenty of sights to consider when trying to ascertain its beauty.
The area of Church Row is predominantly Georgian in architecture and style, and unlike many London streets has remained much unchanged in design since its conception. For anyone who enjoys the look and feel of classic design in a contemporary setting, there is much to see in the area. Original features, lovingly restored and preserved, such as bay windows, wrought iron fronting and red brick facades are plentiful along the street. The houses are uniform in design, and neat, making it one of the most complete examples of Georgian building in London itself.
As well as the style and design of the residential houses, fans of architecture and buildings will love the impressive vision of Church Row’s most famous dwelling. Church Row takes its name from St. John-at-Hampstead, a stunning church with a long and somewhat complex history. The church as it is now was built in 1745, and is much unchanged, but there is a history of religious worship on the site that dates back many years. St. John-at-Hampstead is actually a simple parish church, yet one that has become well known.
In saying that St. John-at-Hampstead has a complex history, one is understating the fact a little. It is thought that the area was originally offered a religious site as far back as 986 AD, as a charter from the time reveals that the area of Hampstead was granted to the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey. With their newly acquired land, the monks were sure to begin building religious buildings as soon as they could afford. However, there is no contemporary evidence of the time to confirm this. The first absolute certainty of worship taking place on the site is in 1312, where records stating that John de Neuport was priest. It is extremely unlikely that a priest and church were newly formed at this point, so while there is no solid evidence, it is safe to assume the area has long been used as a religiously sacred place.
The early church was made of stone and timber, and like all churches of the time, fell victim to Henry VIII. When Henry VIII separated from the Catholic church between 1536 and 1541, he ordered what has since become known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries – where Henry claimed the church property and wealth for himself. Unlike many churches of the time, St. John-at-Hampstead did survive in some form, though it was transformed from Catholic to Church of England.
In 1744, this enduring church regenerated once more – but this time for more practical, rather than religious, reasons. The church was rebuilt into the recognizable building it is now, a more than fitting crowning glory for the Georgian splendor of the surrounding and aptly named area of Church Row.