St Barnabas Bethnal Green, Anglican church building in Bow, England
St Barnabas Bethnal Green is an Anglican church building standing at the corner of Roman Road and Grove Road, designed in Gothic Revival style with yellow brick and distinctive red-and-black banding. The interior was completely reconfigured after World War II damage, though the original north and south walls from 1865 remain standing.
The building was constructed in 1865 as a Baptist Union Church designed by William Wigginton and purchased by the Church of England in 1868. After suffering severe damage during World War II, it underwent major restoration work that transformed its interior character.
The outer walls display sculptures of The Four Evangelists, carved by artist Don Potter during the post-war reconstruction of the 1950s. These artworks shape how the building looks today and reflect the craftsmanship of that era.
The building is accessible for viewing from the outside, and the brick facade details and Evangelist sculptures are clearly visible from the street. Visitors interested in seeing the interior should check opening hours in advance, as the church keeps regular but limited access times.
The church retained its original north and south walls from 1865, while nearly everything else required rebuilding after wartime destruction. These walls stand as witnesses to both the building's origins and its dramatic transformation across more than a century.
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