Chronological Gazetteer of the works of E.W. Pugin

By GJ Hyland – 11 March 2010          This article is undergoing continual refinement, and is updated periodically.

APPENDIX VII: THE BENEDICTION ALTAR

The appellation 'Benediction Altar' refers to the characterising feature of a prominent central throne above the tabernacle from where the Blessed Sacrament can be exposed in full view of the congregation for veneration during the services of Benediction and Quarant' Ore (an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for 40 hours). Although not an enthusiast of such ultramontane practices, introduced in England following the restoration of its Hierarchy in 1850, AWN Pugin nevertheless designed a number of such altars, the most spectacular being that which was once in St Augustine's, Ramsgate. The tabernacle and its surmounting spire were removed during the 1969-70 re-ordering of the chancel, and are now in the Harvard Chapel of Southwark (Anglican) Cathedral - see A Wedgwood, True Principles, vol ii (iv), pp.3-5, 2002.

Fig. 76 • AWN Pugin's Benediction Altar in St Augustine, Ramsgate, showing the exposition throne surmounted by a lofty open-work spire (Courtesy Ramsgate Abbey)

Figs. 77a, b • Benediction altars by EW Pugin: a) an early example at St Mary's Abbey, Oulton; b) the same formula re-used 12 years later in the small church of St Gregory, Stratford-upon-Avon (Private Collections)

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Figs. 78a, b • EW Pugin's later developments of the Benediction Altar in larger churches, where the exposition throne is accessed from the rear of the reredos: a) St Wilfrid, Ripon (Courtesy David Thornton), where the exposition throne is surmounted by a lofty spire, as in his father's essay at Ramsgate (see Fig.76); b) All Saints, Barton-on-Irwell, where above the exposition throne a coronet supported by angels replaces a spire (Courtesy 'Archiseek')

EW Pugin developed the concept further, but it reached its apogee in the hands of PP Pugin.

EW Pugin's first essays in this genre did not follow his father's model with its central soaring spire, but involved simply the provision of a relatively modest gabled niche for the exposition throne set immediately above the tabernacle, and low enough to be accessed (with or without the help of portable wooden steps) from the top altar step.

In the case of larger churches, however, the exposition throne needed to be positioned much higher in order to be visible to all parts of the congregation, making it impossible for it to be accessed as before; an alternative had to be found, and two solutions were devised.

In the first, originally due to EW Pugin and developed by PP Pugin, the reredos is positioned sufficiently forward of the E. wall of the chancel/apse to accommodate a permanent staircase via which the exposition throne can be accessed from the rear.

PP Pugin's development of this solution, in large churches, is illustrated in photographs 79a and b.

Figs. 79a, b • Examples of Benediction Altars by PP Pugin in large churches, where the altar is joined to the reredos, behind which is a staircase via which the elevated exposition throne can be accessed from the rear: a) St Anne, Rock Ferry, which exhibits certain parallels with EW Pugin's arrangement at Ripon (Fig.78a); b) St Francis, Gorton, where the flanking archways leading behind the reredos are prefigured by those of EW Pugin's in All Saints, Barton-on-Irwell (see Fig.78b) (Private Collections)

In the second solution, due to PP Pugin, the mensa and super-altar are separated from the reredos, thereby creating a gap for a permanent staircase that again permits the exposition throne to be accessed from the rear. In this variant, which was often (but not invariably) used in the case of octagonally apsed chancels where the reredos lines the rear three walls, the exposition throne again surmounts the tabernacle, located in the centre of the free-standing mensa. On each side of the tabernacle there are only the gradines of the super-altar (to accommodate candlesticks and flower vases), so that the eye is inevitably drawn upwards to the exposition throne by the tall open-work crocketed spire that soars above it.

Figs. 80a, b • Examples of Benediction Altars by PP Pugin where the mensa is separated from the reredos, which here lines the walls of the apsidal chancel: a) Holy Cross, Liverpool; b) Our Lady, Birkenhead, showing the stairs between the super-altar & reredos.

In this second solution, the exposition throne and its surmounting openwork spire resemble, somewhat, the design of a Gothic monstrance (Fig. 81b), which some of EW Pugin's open-work bell-cotes (Figs.81a, c) themselves resemble.

Figs. 81a, b, c • Showing the parallel between the design of openwork bell-cotes at a) St Vincent de Paul, Liverpool and c) Holy Cross, Liverpool, with that of a Gothic monstrance (Fig.81b). (Private Collections)