History, Social and Cultural Significance

The first church of St Matthew in Upper Clapton was built in 1866 and was a temporary iron church; one of 13 Victorian church plants from St John at Hackney. The foundation stone of the permanent church was laid on 21 September 1867 and consecrated a year and a half later. The architect Francis Dollman was praised for designing this landmark building on a commanding site. The interior of the church included mosaics, delicate carving, metalwork and stained glass by prominent designers. St Matthews was subjected to a Zepplin raid in WWI, War damage in WWII, and a fire in 1976. It was the fire that cause the most damage and the church was rebuilt later, as the one we see today.

Church attendance at St Matthews in 1886 was 866 on Sunday mornings and 806 in the evening; this attendance was the highest in Hackney after St John at Hackney. Church attendance at St Matthews significantly declined in the early 2000's, as its older congregation moved away (to Essex, to Bristol, etc.) either in retirement or as a direct result of gentrification, and the church failed to attract new parishioners in the increasingly changing landscape of Upper Clapton.

Post-Covid and in 2020, the church failed to return its electoral role and the average attendance at Sunday Mass was less than a dozen. In 2024 the Diocese made the decision to close the church. This 'death' struck parishioners hard: there was anger, disbelief, fear, anguish, and feelings of betrayal. The Church is a large Institution that moves slowly, and thus there has not been a definitive closure date announced for the church, but we know it will be sometime after the 21st of September - the Patronal Feast of St Matthew.

There has not been 'closure' for its congregation either. They sit vigil - their number increasing, rather than diminishing almost in defiance of the death knell - as the body of their church transitions from something that anchors them to something that will be lost to them.

Join us for an open tour and exhibition at St Matthews, featuring the voices of past and present congregation members, music, and photographs of the church and its artefacts throughout the week.

Join us as we sit vigil and ask what happens to faith when it has lost its anchor. Join us to mark the occasion of the Feast of St Matthews and take in a community discussion on what becomes of parishioners, artefacts, and faith when a building dies. There will be a service of celebration and remembrance, followed by an open public forum discussion on the 21st of September.