St Cyprian, Clarence Gate, Regent's Park

Tucked away, a short walk behind Baker Street station, St Cyprian is a favourite of church enthusiasts  (among them John Betjeman), and is notable for being the first complete design by Sir Ninian Comper.

Built in 1902-3, the exterior is plain red brick and hardly registers as you walk past the mansion blocks on Glentworth Street. It certainly gives little hint of what lies inside, which comes as something of a revelation: a nave of six bays of tall, slender, clustered shafts with generous aisles, lit by large Perpendicular windows on each side, filled with clear glass. This delivers a beautifully balanced but rather austere space, all the more to focus the eyes towards the chancel and its flanking chapels, which are filled with Comper's richly gilded fittings, sumptuous hangings and brilliantly stained glass. The nave is in fact modelled on that of Attelborough, Norfolk, and the English Heritage listing states that Comper's aim was to "to fulfil the ideal of the English Parish Church... in the last manner of English Architecture". 

Foremost of the fittings is a tall but delicate screen, with figures of saints and apostles very much in the Norfolk style, running the entire width of the church. Above the Rood, the roof is similarly richly decorated, with a painted tympanum depicting Christ seated in glory. The stained glass is also by Comper, as is the later font at the west end: indeed, he worked on the church, completing the various elements, for over 30 years (early photographs show a much plainer interior). The evolution of his style is seen most clearly in the font and its tall, gilded cover, which were completed in 1930-32. The  inclusion of more classical forms illustrates his concept of "Unity by Inclusion", blending the best of gothic and classical.

The church today has regular services in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, and I received a cheerful welcome on my visit.

St Cyprian, Clarence Gate, London NW1 6AX

St David, Garthbrengy

The tiny church of Garthbrengy sits just shy of 1,000ft up, on an exposed hillside above the valley of the Rover Honddu, 4 miles north of Brecon. On my visit, the weather was suitably harsh, with cold, thick, drizzle sweeping across the site. 

Unusually for this blog, this church is redundant and has been in private ownership since 2019, although the graveyard on the south side is still accessible and maintained by the Church in Wales. I include it partly as a wonderful example of a Welsh hilltop church, and partly because of my own family links: my Great-great-great grandparents were married there in 1841. At that time, the substantial employment provided by the nearby dairy farms supported a much larger population than now.

Parts of the building may date from the 12th Century, and it is referred to in a taxation roll in 1291. The church has nave and chancel all in one, with a south porch and west tower. Prior to closure, the interior had a mediaeval stoup and font, and there is a stoup in the porch as well. Some sources claim the squat, thick-walled tower as 17th Century on the basis of windows, but these may have been replaced: it is typical of small mediaeval churches in the area - which often had a defensive function for locals in times of trouble. But there were certainly works undertaken in the 17th century and in the 19th century the restoration included the removal of the north aisle, the piers and arches of which remain in the north wall and are in the Perpendicular Gothic style.

Note that the north part of the churchyard is now a garden belonging to the property, which is being converted into a private home. The only part of the site publicly accessible is the graveyard on the south side - though this provides fabulous views south towards Brecon.

St David, Garthbrengy, Powys (1.5m north-east of Llandefaelog fach). 

St Mary, Brecon

St Jerome, Llangwm Uchaf

St Tysoi, Llansoy

St John, Apostle & Evangelist, Llandenny

St Peter, Dixton