St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb

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St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb (St Jude-on-the-Hill) is the parish church for Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London. The suburb was created starting in 1907 by Henrietta Barnett as a model community where people of all classes could live well together.

Built between 1909 and 1911, the church was designed by architect Edwin Lutyens. It is a hybrid of styles, described as Queen Anne Revival applied to a traditional church form; the west end was completed in 1935.

exterior and interior
- The church is about 200 feet long externally, with a tower spire that rises 178 feet.
- Inside, the ceiling is barrel-vaulted and domed, with several vaults and domes around the crossing.
- The Lady Chapel opened in 1910, and St John’s Chapel in 1923.
- Murals and paintings by Walter Starmer began in 1920 and continued to 1929. The west window, dedicated in 1937, shows Saint Jude with the church and Christ in glory.

art and memorials
- The church contains many memorials and artworks, including works by Anning Bell and Rosemary Proctor.
- It has older iron screens from 1710 flanking the sanctuary.
- The high altar includes stones from Canada, and the foundation stone near the chancel was laid in 1910 by Eric Gill.
- The organ, a Father Willis instrument, originally came from St Jude’s in Whitechapel and was moved here in 1934; it was rebuilt and rededicated in 2002.

visitors and use
- The building is known for its acoustics and is used for recordings and concerts.
- Notable connections: Evelyn Waugh was confirmed there in 1916, and C.S. Lewis spoke there in 1942 and 1945.
- Since 1992, St Jude’s has hosted the annual Proms at St Jude’s music festival. It is open for services and, with notice, for guided visits or groups.

today
- St Jude’s is an active parish church that also hosts events and concerts.
- As of 2022, it was listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register with a poor condition rating.
- The adjacent vicarage, also designed by Lutyens, is a Grade II listed building.