About Augustus Pugin:
Augustus Pugin, who designed the interior of Saint Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle, was born in 1812, the son of a French family, and died tragically young at the age of 40. Despite his short life he had a prolific output that included the interior designs for the Palace of Westminster, over one hundred churches and cathedrals, and wrote eight major books on architecture and design.
About Saint Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle, Staffordshire:
In 1840 Augustus Pugin was commissioned by John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, to design and build a Roman Catholic church “that would have no rival”. The earl placed unlimited means at Pugin’s disposal. The church was completed in 1846 in early Gothic style such as Salisbury Cathedral.
The resulting church at Cheadle is said to be Pugin’s masterpiece and was called “Pugin’s Gem”. It is one of the most ornate churches that in the United Kingdom.
There are weekday and weekend Masses….check their website for details.
If you are visiting at any other time, their website states: St Giles is open every day for visitors. The doors are open from about 8.30am until 4.30pm- 5pm. Entry is via the South door. Sometimes this is stiff and may appear to closed. It isn’t, please give it a good push!
If you are visiting other than at Mass times, a coin meter to the left of the door lights up the Church, using £1 or £2 coins….well, electricity doesn’t come cheap!
Traveling to Saint Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle, Staffordshire:
Staffordshire is roughly in the center of England. East Midlands Airport (EMA) is the closest airport to Staffordshire. Other nearby airports include Birmingham (BHX), Manchester (MAN), Liverpool (LPL), and London Luton (LTN). There is also train service to Staffordshire (about 3 hours travel time from London).
Address: 18 Charles St, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1ED, UK
Click here for the official website of Saint Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle, Staffordshire.