The Grange and St Augustine's Church

The Grange was the home and studio of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the Victorian architect whose elaborate Gothic Revival designs shaped the interiors of the Palace of Westminster and dozens of churches across Britain. Pugin built the house for himself in 1844, designing it as a demonstration of his theories about medieval Gothic architecture translated into domestic use. It is a compact, asymmetrical building on the cliff above the harbour, with pointed arches, a great hall, and a private chapel.

Next door stands St Augustine's Church, which Pugin designed as the family church and in which he is buried. The building is considered one of his finest achievements — a genuine Gothic Revival church rather than a Victorian pastiche. Both buildings are managed by the Landmark Trust and the Pugin Foundation; the church is open to visitors without charge, and The Grange can be visited on guided tours at weekends. Combined with a walk around the Regency townhouses of the Royal Harbour, this makes for one of the better half-days in southeast England.

things to do sight architecture historic house
A story
Augustus Pugin designed more than 100 buildings across Britain and Ireland, but he considered The Grange and St Augustine's his personal masterwork. He moved into the house in 1844, designed the adjacent church for his own family, and is buried in the chancel. He died in 1852 at the age of 40, arguably exhausted by the pace of his own productivity. He designed much of the interior decoration of the Palace of Westminster — the wallpapers, tiles, metalwork, and furniture — including the famous Pugin wallpaper that tourists photograph in the House of Lords today.