St Matthew's Church, Brixton
| St Matthew’s Church, Brixton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stmatthewsbrixton.org/ |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Ferdinand Porden |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Lambeth North Deanery |
| Archdeaconry | Lambeth |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwark |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Rev Stephen Sichel |
St Matthew’s Church is a Church of England church in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade II* listed building. which occupies a prominent position at the junction of Brixton Road, Brixton Hill and Effra Road.
Until the early 19th century, Brixton was part of the parish of St Mary-at-Lambeth, whose ancient parish church stood about 3 miles (4.8 km) away, next to Lambeth Palace. These arrangements were inconvenient for those living in the new housing that was already starting to appear along the main roads passing through Brixton, a situation that was addressed by the construction of St Matthew's.
In 1886 the population of the parish amounted to 13,924 and was served by three clergy. The total proportion attending (morning and evening services) was 12.4%.
In 1901 the population of the parish was 12,029. In the following year, there were two clergymen and the total proportion attending was 11.2%.
In 2002 St Matthew’s parish was united with that of St Jude's in East Brixton, whose church building had been sold in 1980 and which had no incumbent since 1991. St Jude's was built in 1867-68.
Based on statistics from the UK census, the Diocese of Southwark estimates the population of the parish was 12,100 in 2001 and 15,500 in 2011. It is not clear whether the figure for 2001 includes people who were then living in the former parish of St Jude's.
Since 19 October 1951 St Matthew’s church has been designated a Grade II* listed building. It was designed by Charles Ferdinand Porden (1790-1863) with the foundation stone laid in 1822 and the church consecrated two years later. The building is a rectangle, with a massive Greek Doric entrance portico at the west end, fronting onto Brixton Hill. A tower stands at the east end of the building.
During the 1970s and subsequently, major internal alterations have been carried out to provide accommodation for a variety of activities, including continued use of a part by the Anglican congregation.
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