Step inside St Giles, Cheadle – Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin’s dazzling Gothic Revival Catholic church that stunned Victorian Britain. Completed in 1846, this “jewel box” interior is one of the most extraordinary expressions of Gothic Revival architecture in England.
In this film we explore how Pugin turned a small Staffordshire parish church into a total work of art. Every surface is transformed: glowing stained glass, hand-painted stencilling, encaustic Minton tiles, carved stone, gilding and medieval-inspired furnishings all combine into a single immersive vision of faith and colour.
We uncover the partnership between Pugin and his powerful Catholic patron, the Earl of Shrewsbury, in the wake of Catholic Emancipation, and show how St Giles became a manifesto for the Gothic Revival – influencing Victorian church design, foreshadowing the Arts and Crafts movement, and still astonishing visitors today.
