Plaque

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 7 Blake

Erection date: 5/1/1957

Inscription

This stone was laid on January 5th 1957 by Mr H. H. Blake.

Site: Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church (7 memorials)

N5, Highbury Quadrant

The 7 plaques are on different faces of the frontage of the building. We've numbered them left to right. Plaque 3 can be seen in our photo, just to the left of the door.

2021: The site is the subject of a proposal for redevelopment but we could see no date on the website. Consultation has a photo of the Victorian church.

The 20th Century Society informs: The architects of this 1954 building were Hastie, Winch & Kelly. The London Gardens Trust gives: "The Congregational Church was established here in 1878 and was formerly at the centre of residential terraced houses, now replaced by council blocks of the Highbury Quadrant Estate, built by the LCC in 1955/6." The National Archives inform: The site includes: a chapel, a church school; a vestry and an apartment. Some of the buildings on site in 2020 (possibly all except the church itself) are of late19th century origin.

British History Online has: "Cong. ch. (possibly temp.), Highbury Quadrant, reg. 1880. Permanent ch. in Highbury Quadrant built 1881; seated 1,370 in 1884. Designed by John Sulman; galleries added. Attendance 1903: 580 a.m.; 683 p.m. Because of subsidence, replaced 1957 with new single-storeyed red-brick bldg. with small tower, seating 250. 

From Streets with a Story: "The original HIGHBURY QUADRANT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH was built in 1881 in place of an iron chapel erected on the hill in 1878, between Blackstock Road and Highbury New Park. Designed by John Sulman, it seated 1370 in 1884. The Church was restored in 1933. Vibration and war- blast had damaged the building and in 1957 a new church was re-opened and re-dedicated, seating only 250".

On the day we first visited the sun and the foliage made our task difficult. The Fleming plaque was so hidden by foliage that we only managed to read and photograph it on a second visit months latter.

2022: The Islington Tribune reported that "Government ‘rode roughshod’ over Town Hall affordable housing target by approving homes ... The building, which is currently dilapidated following a 2015 blaze, is now due to be replaced with a large new church and residential block. ... small congregation, described as “a membership of 17 members and 20 adherents” in planning documents."

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 7 Blake

Subjects commemorated i

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 7 Blake

Also at this site i

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 1 Price

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 1 Price

This stone was laid on January 5th 1957 by Miss N. G. Price on behalf of the ...

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Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 2 Fleming

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 2 Fleming

This stone was laid on January 5th 1957 by Rev. Peebles Fleming, Minister.

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Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 3 Smith

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 3 Smith

This stone was laid on January 5th 1957 by Mr. J. Rider Smith on behalf of th...

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Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 4 Glassey

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 4 Glassey

This stone was laid on January 5th 1957 by Mr Alec E. Glassey JP on behalf of...

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Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 5 Clark

Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church - 5 Clark

These grounds were landscaped owing to the generosity of James Clark, a membe...

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Nearby Memorials

Siegfried Sassoon - W8

Siegfried Sassoon - W8

W8, Campden Hill Square, 23

Siegfried Sassoon, 1886 - 1967, writer, lived here 1925 - 1932. English Heritage

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Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

E8, Lower Clapton Road, St John's Churchyard

The Biblical quotation draws attention to the secrecy which was essential to the success of Operation Mincemeat (the 'watch' being a guar...

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River Effra - Pope's Road

River Effra - Pope's Road

SW9, Canterbury / Popes

The plaque is in the pavement, this side of the post.

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Percy Shelley - SE1 - Southwark

Percy Shelley - SE1 - Southwark

SE1, Nelson Square, 26, Applegarth House

British History Online gives: "Percy Bysshe Shelley {} took lodgings at No. 26 as a tenant of Thomas Lillo on 9th November, 1814. Shelley...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Benjamin Waugh - N11

Benjamin Waugh - N11

N11, Friern Barnet Road, Christ Church

Rev. Benjamin Waugh, founder of the N.S.P.C.C., served as founder minister of this church, 1883 - 1887. London Borough of Barnet

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator