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Ramsgate: Antiques Roadshow star to lecture on Pugin at St Augustine's


Paul Atterbury, one of the leading experts on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, will be speaking at Pugin’s church of St Augustine, in Ramsgate, Kent, on his personal and professional interest in Pugin – the architect responsible for the design of much of the Houses of Parliament.

The lecture, Pugin Revisited, will be at St Augustine’s, Ramsgate, on Friday, 12 September, at 7pm.

Paul Atterbury was at the forefront of the resurgence of interest in Pugin over the past few decades. He curated the groundbreaking exhibition at the V&A Museum in 1994, as well as the celebrated follow-up exhibition in New York. Alongside Pugin biographer Rosemary Hill, he was also responsible for a smaller exhibition in Pugin’s home town of Ramsgate.

St Augustine’s, Ramsgate, is the church where Pugin is buried, and was constructed by him between 1844 and 1852. A man who built around 200 churches and propelled the Gothic Revival, St Augustine’s is the only church Pugin built with his own money. Thus is it internationally-important as a perfect model of Pugin’s “true principles,” which embody his distinct and influential philosophy and vision of architecture.

This retrospective lecture will take place in St Augustine’s, a most appropriate setting, which lent items for the 1994 exhibition. Pugin’s tomb is within the church, and his designs of glasswork, stonework, architectural principles, and metalwork will surround the audience. The lecture takes place just two days before the 162nd anniversary of Pugin’s death.

The lecture is organised jointly by The Pugin Society and the Friends of St Augustine.

Catriona Blaker, speaking for the Pugin Society, said: “We are delighted that Paul Atterbury has come to Ramsgate, the Pugin heartland, to talk about the major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum that he curated in in1994, and which made so many more people aware of Pugin. This exhibition, held before the Landmark Trust's restoration of Pugin's house, The Grange, in Ramsgate, and before the formation of the Pugin Society or the Friends of St Augustine, was a real trail blazer, igniting the Pugin flame, and helping to set in train a series of wonderful events which have led to an unimaginable advance in Pugin studies and understanding of all he stood for.”

Fr Marcus Holden, Rector of St Augustine’s, said, “Ramsgate was Pugin’s home, and St Augustine’s was his treasured place, so we are especially pleased to have Paul Atterbury presenting his lecture here. Pugin changed cityscapes and building ideas worldwide – and it largely emerged here in Ramsgate! Pugin is one of the great Britons who is being rediscovered by more and more people, so I encourage everyone to come.”

The lecture is part of Pugin Week – a celebration of Augustus Pugin in Ramsgate, from Thursday 11 September to Monday 15 September. Events include lectures, music, displays, and tours. It coincides with the Heritage Open Days, a national scheme enabling the public to look around historic buildings for free.

St Augustine’s is undergoing a major restoration and expansion programme. Currently under way is Phase 3, which is repairing the roof of the Schoolroom and Library as well as restoring the East Window, windows in the West Cloister, and various stonework. This has received significant funding from English Heritage, the Friends of Kent Churches, and others.

St Augustine’s is open from 10am to 4pm every day. Entrance is free; donations are welcome.

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded St Augustine’s £82,000 in November 2013 to fund a Development Phase towards a full grant of almost a million pounds. This will enable the creation of an Education, Research and Visitor Centre which will be a focus of exhibitions, studies, and access to Pugin and St Augustine. Already attracting groups from across the country and the world, the planned centre will make St Augustine’s and Ramsgate an even more notable point on the map.

Fundraising for approximately £90,000 is underway, which must be raised by Spring 2015, in order to qualify for the full grant. For more information, contact the Friends of St Augustine at office@augustineshrine.co.uk or write to 72, Hereson Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 7DS.

For more information on St Augustine's visit: www.augustineshrine.co.uk and www.augustinefriends.co.uk

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