Context of alterations

Alterations and Reordering

There have been changes since Our Ladye Star of the Sea's completion in 1851, the most significant are as follows:

1863 Construction of the perpendicular-style tomb and effigy for Canon Richard North located between the sanctuary and the Lady Chapel. This was designed by EW Pugin and sculpted by William Farmer. The St Joseph Chapel was likely re-dedicated to Our Lady around this time, the design of the Lady Chapel altar and reredos is reminiscent of the work of EW Pugin.

1885 A brass memorial probably by Hardman of Birmingham was added to the crypt entrance stone in the sanctuary floor. It is in memory of the two priest brothers Frs Richard and Joseph North.

1891 Sacred Heart Chapel completed. Located off the south aisle where EW Pugin had designed an unexecuted chapel in memory Sir Stuart Knill 1st Baronet and Lord Mayor of London, who was the second Catholic to hold the post since the Reformation.

1900-01 First known restoration of the church, to mark the 50th anniversary. This is known to have involved redecoration and repairs.

1921 Cenotaph constructed in the Sacred Heart Chapel in memory of the former parish priest Canon Michael O’Halloran.

1929 Two new windows in the Baptistery dedicated to William Keliher (d.1924) and Charles Bingham (d.1929) were added.

1937 A window in the Sacred Heart Chapel was added in memory of Canon John Sheen (d.1937). Arts and Crafts in style, it is by John Trinick and depicts St John the Evangelist receiving the Revelation. A carved stone memorial plaque in the tower was also added.

1945 Numerous windows were added, including the two in the north aisle depicting Our Lady and St Anne and the Tree of Jesse (commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Children of Mary). One in the south aisle depicts the Holy Family and is in memory of British Constable John Ford who was killed in Palestine in 1947. All are by John Trinick.

1965 A second restoration was carried out by the architects Myles and Deirdre Dove. This included the construction of the gallery, addition of the new organ (see image) and a new porch below the gallery. New timber panelling was added to the ceilings of the nave and aisles, covering the original ceiling. The interior was repainted and a cork floor laid over the original tiles. A new confessional was also created. It is likely that the sanctuary ceiling and arch painting of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin by Enrico Casolani were painted over at this time (see image from 1901 restoration, where painting/ stencilling can be seen). The original reredos on the high altar (see early image) was also likely removed at this time.

2007 The pinnacle of the spire and the finial cross were repaired, as the iron fixing rod corroded causing splitting of the stone. The iron was replaced with stainless steel, the stonework was repaired and the cross restored.

In recent years internally, paint has been removed from the nave columns revealing the natural Purbeck marble. The roof, tower and spire have undergone restoration work since the Second World War, and the Caen stone pulpit attributed to AWN Pugin was relocated from the nave to the sanctuary.

1960s addition of pine gallery for the organ

High Altar with original reredos before 1960s

Catholic revival

The Catholic Emancipation of 1829 and the Restoration of the Catholic Hierarchy in 1850 marked a revival of Catholic worship in England and Wales, allowing churches to be designed without legal restrictions for the first time in centuries.

This revival coincided with industrialisation, which drew large Catholic working-class communities, particularly Irish migrants fleeing the Great Famine. Though finances for new churches were often scarce, sometimes wealthier Catholic families and entrepreneurs funded ambitious projects. The period saw the construction of overtly Catholic churches replacing modest rented rooms and chapels that previously sufficed.

Gothic Revival

This was the height of the Gothic Revival, a movement championed by notable Catholic architects such as AWN Pugin, the Hansom brothers, and Wardell. Pugin, a pivotal figure in this revival, believed Gothic architecture reflected the Christian moral values of the Middle Ages and sought to restore these values in modern society. The architectural revival also reaffirmed Catholic identity and connected the 19th-Century Church with its pre-Reformation heritage.

Church decoration in this period often employed medieval catechetical symbolism, including motifs like, the Lamb of God, Eucharistic symbols, of the grapevine and wheat and passion flowers, and Latin inscriptions such as ‘IHS’ and ‘MR’.

Saints popular in medieval England, including Helen, Catherine, George, and Thomas of Canterbury, reappeared alongside Irish patron saints Patrick and Bridget. Churches frequently depicted narrative biblical scenes, the lives of saints, and occasionally depictions of benefactors. Limited funds meant features such as spires, altars, and stained glass were often added progressively over time.

In the 20th Century common additions included war memorials, either as plaques or stained-glass windows. Following the Second World War, many urban churches underwent repairs after suffering bomb damage.

Second Vatican Council

However, the most radical changes came after the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) which introduced new liturgical practices and inspired widespread church reordering. At a time when appreciation for 19th-Century architecture was minimal, many historic churches suffered unsympathetic alterations. Original altars, pulpits, fonts, and decorative schemes were removed or replaced with modernist elements. The concept of such buildings as heritage warranting conservation was virtually non-existent.

There was also a shift toward minimalist interiors, with plain colours replacing richly-painted schemes, many of which were lost through neglect or over-painting. Today, few 19th-Century Catholic churches remain intact.

However, growing awareness of past reorderings' harmful effects has sparked conservation projects aimed at restoring historic interiors while respecting contemporary liturgical needs.

Arch painting and stencils in Sanctuary still visible in 1901