W. T. Carter Shapland, north transept window (1960), Church of St Mary, Stoke Newington, London.

Photo: Jane Brocket

W. T. Carter Shapland, detail of north transept window (1960), Church of St Mary, Stoke Newington, London.

Photo: Jane Brocket

Church of St Mary, Stoke Newington, London N16

Address

Church of St Mary, Church Street, Stoke Newington, London N16 9ES

Recommended by

Jane Brocket (10)

Highlight

North transept window

Artist, maker and date

WT Carter Shapland, 1960

Reason for highlighting

One of the most fascinating post-war windows of all. In rich, vivid colours and a beautifully clear style, the lower sections celebrate the sciences, engineering, technology and discovery. There is a huge amount to find in here: planets, constellations, scientific equipment, elements, fossils, scientists, various creatures, a nuclear reactor and the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank.

Other comments

Also worthy of note are the windows by Francis Skeat, 1957-8 that replaced Victorian glass lost during the war.

Francis Skeat worked as assistant to Christopher Webb, but was later a prolific designer in his own right (up to 400 windows) and the windows he made independently bear a close resemblance to Webb’s. (It is easy to misattribute them, but Skeat worked with a slighter different palette – more pinks, greens, purples and oranges).

Artist/maker notes

William Thomas ‘Tom’ Carter Shapland (1925-1972) came from a Devon farming family. He was trained and worked for five years under the supervision of Arthur Erridge for J. Wippell & Co of Exeter, Devon.

In the early 1950s he was working as a designer with Barton, Kinder and Alderson in Brighton, Sussex. At this time his designs were figurative and called for traditional techniques of manufacture.

Tom then became a freelance artist, adopting the ploughshare as his maker’s mark, reminiscent of his farming background.

Source: Stained Glass Marks & Monograms, complied by Joyce Little, and edited by Angela Goedicke & Margaret Washbourn (NADFAS, 2002)

Highlighted dates at this location

1960 (Go to date search)