Welcome to the Grand Junction digital guide.
Whether you’re a history buff, a curious local or just love beautiful spaces, this guide is your companion to exploring the fascinating story of St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Paddington. We invite you to wander through this stunning Grade I Gothic Revival church, designed by George Edmund Street in the late 19th century and discover its past and present in an engaging and interactive way.
Discover how the building has been lovingly restored, spot the hidden details and explore architecture, art, stained glass and intricate designs at your own pace. You will encounter interactive characters from the building’s past, zoomable images, selfie filters, music and archival snapshots. Let’s unlock the rich heritage of St Mary Magdalene’s Church together – in a way that’s personal, playful and totally immersive.
The Digital Guide was developed by Zubr in collaboration with Grand Junction and a dedicated team of heritage volunteers.
The Nave
1. Meet the Architect George Edmund Street
Meet George Edmund Street in Augmented Reality (AR) and hear his story come to life on your screen.
2. The Nave Ceiling
A unique pictorial ceiling. Have a closer look to the paintings in the ceiling of the Nave.
3. Stained Glass Window Face Filter
Try the crown of Saint Swithin and S. Frideswide with this Augmented Reality (AR) selfie filter.
4. A Seat for Everyone
How did the interior of the church look in 1872 and why are there no fixed pews?
6. The Windows of St Mary Magdalene’s Church
Explore the magnificent stained glass of Henry Holiday.
7. Victorian Parishioner: Sarah Smith
Meet Sarah Smith – a local woman from Victorian times.
8. Modern Use
We present a year-round programme of music, arts, and heritage for young people, families, and adults.
Altar and Chancel
11. The Sculptor Behind the Stone
Find out about Thomas Earp, the sculptor responsible for the stonework both inside and outside the church.
Undercroft and Chapel
1. What’s an Undercroft?
A resting place but not for burials. Discover how the Undercroft used to look before its restoration.
2. Meet Ninian Comper
Meet Ninian Comper in Augmented Reality (AR) and hear his story come to life on your screen.
3. Preserving a Special Chapel
Explore a medieval inspired chapel and its restored colours.
5. A Hidden Star of the Big Screen
Curious what movie was filmed in Grand Junction? Discover it here.
Outside the Church
Faith Cast in Iron: The War Memorial at St Mary Magdalene’s
The cast iron crucifix outside St Mary Magdalene’s is a rare sight in England…
A Glimpse into the Past
Step back in time with a selection of historic photographs of the exterior of St Mary Magdalene’s capturing how its surroundings have changed over the years.
Explore the site by following the hotspots on the map — tap each one to uncover stories, history, and hidden details. Some hotspots include an Augmented Reality experience!
KEY
1. Meet the Architect George Edmund Street
2. The Nave Ceiling
3. Stained Glass window face filter
4. A Seat for Everyone
5. A Cross of Memory
6. The Windows of St Mary Magdalene’s Church
7. Victorian parishioner: Sarah Smith
8. Modern use
9. Father Richard Temple West
10. Chancel ceiling
11. The Sculptor Behind the Stone
12. Mosaics from Italy
Explore the site by following the hotspots on the map — tap each one to uncover stories, history, and hidden details. Some hotspots include an Augmented Reality experience!
KEY
1. Meet the Architect George Edmund Street
2. The Nave Ceiling
3. Stained Glass window face filter
4. A Seat for Everyone
5. A Cross of Memory
6. The Windows of St Mary Magdalene’s Church
7. Victorian parishioner: Sarah Smith
8. Modern use
9. Father Richard Temple West
10. Chancel ceiling
11. The Sculptor Behind the Stone
12. Mosaics from Italy
Explore the site by following the hotspots on the map — tap each one to uncover stories, history, and hidden details. Some hotspots include an Augmented Reality experience!
KEY
1. What’s an Undercroft?
2. Meet Ninian Comper
3. Preserving a Special Chapel
4. Chapel music notes played
5. A Hidden Star of the Big Screen
Explore the site by following the hotspots on the map — tap each one to uncover stories, history, and hidden details. Some hotspots include an Augmented Reality experience!
KEY
1. What’s an Undercroft?
2. Meet Ninian Comper
3. Preserving a Special Chapel
4. Chapel music notes played
5. A Hidden Star of the Big Screen
Tap on the hotspots to see the historic photographs at their locations in Augmented Reality*.
KEY
1. Clarendon Crescent
2. South facade, pre-2019 restoration
3. The Transept Door
4. Grand Union Canal
5. Apse & Clarendon Crescent
*Compatible with smartphones that support Augmented Reality.
Location Hotspot 2
Location Hotspot 2
South facade, pre-2019 restoration
Location Hotspot 5
Location Hotspot 5
Apse & Clarendon Crescent
Location Hotspot 3
Location Hotspot 3
The Transept Door
A Glimpse into the Paste
Step back in time with a selection of historic photographs of the exterior of St Mary Magdalene’s capturing how its surroundings have changed over the years yet the church itself endures as a presence in the community.
Before re-development in the 1960s, St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Paddington was tightly hemmed in by rows of Victorian terraces particularly along Clarendon Street and Clarendon Crescent, whose back gardens backed directly onto the Grand Union Canal running behind the church. These houses and streets once formed a densely packed, working-class neighbourhood just steps from the church. In 1957–58, the London County Council purchased hundreds of properties in this area including those surrounding the church as part of slum-clearance efforts affecting around 7,000 residents. By 1962, nearly all those terraced homes had been demolished and replaced by the newly built Warwick Estate, transforming the church’s surroundings into open, landscaped spaces beside the canal.
If you device isn’t compatible with Augmented reality, you can just enjoy the images below:
Tap on the hotspots to see the historic photographs at their locations in Augmented Reality*.
KEY
1. Clarendon Crescent
2. South facade, pre-2019 restoration
3. The Transept Door
4. Grand Union Canal
5. Apse & Clarendon Crescent
*Compatible with smartphones that support Augmented Reality.
Location Hotspot 2
Location Hotspot 2
South facade, pre-2019 restoration
Location Hotspot 5
Location Hotspot 5
Apse & Clarendon Crescent
Location Hotspot 3
Location Hotspot 3
The Transept Door
A Glimpse into the Paste
Step back in time with a selection of historic photographs of the exterior of St Mary Magdalene’s capturing how its surroundings have changed over the years yet the church itself endures as a presence in the community.
Before re-development in the 1960s, St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Paddington was tightly hemmed in by rows of Victorian terraces particularly along Clarendon Street and Clarendon Crescent, whose back gardens backed directly onto the Grand Union Canal running behind the church. These houses and streets once formed a densely packed, working-class neighbourhood just steps from the church. In 1957–58, the London County Council purchased hundreds of properties in this area including those surrounding the church as part of slum-clearance efforts affecting around 7,000 residents. By 1962, nearly all those terraced homes had been demolished and replaced by the newly built Warwick Estate, transforming the church’s surroundings into open, landscaped spaces beside the canal.
If you device isn’t compatible with Augmented reality, you can just enjoy the images below:
Enjoy this guide onsite. Connect to our wifi for a better experience.
Wifi Network: Grand Junction Conference.
Wifi Password: PDTGJ2019
General Navigation
The pages of the Digital Guide can be accessed from The Explore & Discover Tab within the digital guide, and the three maps located to the right of the ‘Explore & Discover’ tab.
Explore and Discover Tab
This tab is separated out into locations within Grand Junction. Within each section you can find the pages that relate to the location.
Nave Map, and Undercroft and Chapel Map
- If you tap on a hotspot, this will open a box containing a link to a page with more detail about what you can find at that location.
- Underneath the map you will find a key giving the name of each page
Exterior Map Tab
- If you tap on a hotspot, this will open a box containing a link to a page which will open your camera, ready to view the Augmented reality experience. Allow Camera access when prompted, and stand in the location shown on the map and in the photograph for the best experience.
- Underneath the map you will find a key giving the name of each page
Thank you for using our Digital Guide! We’d love to know how you found the experience. Please fill in our feedback survey (it should take no longer than 5 minutes).
You Are Here
The Digital Heritage Guide is part of Grand Junction’s three-year heritage project, ‘You Are Here’, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project connects people and places, celebrating the diverse history of the local community and the heritage of our Grade I listed Victorian building.
Over the past year, we have worked with a team of brilliant heritage volunteers to create a Digital Guide and share our Victorian building’s story in an exciting, interactive way. In March we partnered with digital AR agency Zubr to bring our ideas for the guide to life. We hope you enjoy exploring our spectacular space!
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