Tuesday 18 March 2014

Old St Andrew's Charity School, Hatton Garden EC1

The old charity school was built as a chapel by Sir Christopher Hatton to serve the residents of the street that bears his name.
A notice outside claims it is by Wren but that seems unlikely - the proportions are all wrong and the pediment has a flat top, something the master would never have countenanced. He was working at the time on the parish church, St Andrew, so the chapel may well have been built by one of his tradesmen.
A pair of schoolchildren flanked each entrance, as was customary, but one pair was later transferred to St Andrew.
The girl holds her homework, and it now displays a list of the people who repainted the statues between 1968 and 1994. Both figures are looking a bit flaky - time they were given another coat, I feel.


No comments: