insideKENT Magazine Issue 49 - April 2016 | Page 97
St Augustine's © Ludmila Griffin
St Augustine's Procession © Ludmila Griffin
Lady Chapel © Ludmila Griffin
described it as his child. He wanted to use real
Kentish materials, and create the first in a Revival
of Kentish church stones. There was no expense
spared in re-building Pugin’s church, and he was
proud of using only the finest materials and the
most skilled of workmen. This church, and the
house by its side, inspired a nation to look back
at the Gothic era, and to re-imagine it.
There was no one to tell Pugin how to build his
church, and that was exactly what he wanted –
he used his own money so that he wouldn’t feel
beholden to investors, and although it took him
longer than he might have liked, the end result
was worth the money, the sweat, and the toil.
The Gothic Revival was a turning point in the
world’s architecture, and it all stems from this
site in Ramsgate.
Currently being built is a new visitor centre at
St Augustine’s which gives details on the history
and the importance of the site. This, along with
the restoration of the church, was built with
money granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund in
2015. The restoration is still ongoing, and the
official opening is expected to happen in 2017,
with a trial opening in 2016.
St Augustine's Interior © Ludmila Griffin
The interior restoration of the church is incredible,
and brings this model of the Gothic Revival back
to Pugin’s original stunning vision. The rood
screen from the Lady Chapel and the choir stalls
will be moved back to their original positions,
exactly as shown in Pugin’s plans. A new altar
is to be made and returned to where the plans
show it should be at the eastern end of the
church; this is the traditional direction for Christians
to face when worshipping as the rising sun
symbolises the light of the world, Jesus Christ.
Within the church there are some points of
particular interest such as the Pugin Chantry
Chapel where Pugin is buried. There is an effigy
of Pugin there which was designed by his eldest
son, Edward, who went on to design the Granville
Hotel. Edward also built the monastery which
the Vincentian Indian Catholics own and run the
monastery as a retreat. The Divine Retreat Centre
UK is a place for spiritual re-awakening and rest.
Another wonderful part of the church is the
Augustine Window which tells the story, in
beautiful stained glass, of the saint himself, and
should not be missed. Neither should the Stations
of the Cross which, although put in after Pugin’s
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death, are astonishing and deserve to be
preserved. The church is so important that there
was recently a live broadcast there for BBC Radio
4’s Sunday Worship, and over 1.5 million people
listened in.
The Pugin Society (www.thepuginsociety) work
with The Landmark Trust and the Friends of St
Augustine in order to make Pugin better known
to the general public. With such a legacy of
architecture and design behind him, it shouldn’t
take long for his name to be recognised across
the world.
As part of this bid to share Pugin with everyone,
there is a Pugin town trail in Ramsgate. This selfguided walk takes you from the Eastcliff to the
Westcliff, and points out all the Pugin designed
architecture that can be seen in the town.
For further information about Thanet
and all that goes on there, please visit
www.visitthanet.co.uk.