St Pancras Old Church vicar Father James Elston says the historic building ‘is the original centre of the community’

Published: 2 May, 2013
by DAN CARRIER

LONDON’S oldest church is facing a three-way threat from collapsing graves, bad drains and modern transport.

St Pancras Old Church, which is sandwiched by the busy Midland Road and the HS1 high-speed train route to France going just 50 yards from its altar, is constantly wobbling and now the church has launched an appeal to raise £300,000 to pay for drastic action to save the historic site.

The extent of the problem is easy to see: a mirror placed above the chapel’s organ does not stop moving, and demonstrates why huge cracks have appeared in the walls.

According to historic buildings architect Colin Kerr, who is overseeing the work, St Pancras Old Church sits on land that has been a significant site for religious activities long before the advent of Christianity.

He said: “It is such an important building, the oldest of its type in London. It definitely dates from Saxon times but there is evidence there were religious buildings here even earlier.”

When the church was repaired in medieval times, builders used Roman bricks lying around the site to fill in gaps.

In the 19th century, work on the railways nearby led to the ground around the site being disturbed. During the English Civil War, Parliamentarians used it as a stable, and at one point its 7th-century altar stone and ceremonial silver plate was hidden from soldiers in the grounds.

The altar was dug up in the 19th century and put back in place.

Mr Kerr added: “By the 19th century it was in a terrible state and there was a long phase of restoration carried out.” This included making the chapel bigger and included removing a Saxon tower, with the Kentish ragstone re-used.

But the work did not improve its prospects for today.

The design removed large sections of wall to create bigger windows, fatally weakening them, and a deep gully dug around the sides and a new drainage system further undermined the building.

Drains were put in and it was believed they went into old sewers linked to the River Fleet, which runs beneath the graveyard. But recent research has found they are completely blocked – meaning water is running back under foundations.

St Pancras vicar Father James Elston has enlisted the help of well-known lecturers to help raise awareness of the building’s plight.

He said: “It is the original centre of the community here but it has always been poor and uncared for.

"It provides a place of peace and quiet for people from all over, no matter what their religious persuasions.

"We have over 100 candles lit every day, and staff from St Pancras hospital and Eurostar coming in. We want to use it as a resource for the community and it is an utterly unique part of this area’s history.”

The fund-raising lectures start on Saturday, May 11, with graveyard expert Roger Bowdler.

Other events include talks by English Heritage’s Philip Davies on “Lost London”, St Pancras station historian Simon Bradley and Kentish Town author Gillian Tindall on her seminal work, The Fields Beneath, among others.

Lectures are £10 per ticket and available on the door or email st.p.appeal@gmail.com