St Augustine's Tower is Hackney's oldest building and its most enduring symbol. Standing in St John's Church Gardens on Mare Street, this Grade I listed tower has witnessed more than seven centuries of Hackney history, from medieval village to modern London borough.
The Origins of a Landmark
The parish church of Hackney was first dedicated to St Augustine of Hippo from the 14th century until around 1660, when it was rededicated to St John the Baptist. The tower itself dates from the early 16th century, constructed around 1500 as part of a major rebuilding of the church. The arms of Sir John Heron, who died in 1521, and rector Christopher Urswick, who died in 1522, commemorate this period of construction.
The original church building was substantial, measuring 105 feet along its north wall and 64 feet across. The tower, including its vane, reached 118 feet into the sky. Built of coursed rubble masonry using Kentish ragstone, it features diagonal buttressing and four stages beneath a restored parapet.
A Twist of Fate
By the late 18th century, the medieval church could no longer accommodate Hackney's growing population. In 1792, construction began on a new church, St John-at-Hackney, in the fields to the north-east. The new building, designed by James Spiller and consecrated in 1797, could hold 2,000 worshippers. The body of the old church was demolished in 1798.
The tower should have been demolished as well. However, according to the Hackney Historic Buildings Trust, it was left standing to house the eight bells of Hackney. The demolition contractor reportedly found the work too difficult, and "happily no one pressed him to fulfil his contract." The bells remained in the tower until 1854, when they were moved to the new church after its tower was underpinned to bear their weight.
The Clock That Kept Time for Four Centuries
One of the tower's most significant treasures is its turret clock, dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. Mentioned in parish documents from at least 1608, it belongs to what the Curator of Horology at the Royal Observatory Greenwich describes as "a relatively small group of English clocks, considered to date from the 1580s." For more than 400 years, the clock was wound manually every week until automatic winding was eventually installed. The clock faces visible today are a later addition, positioned at second floor level.
A Symbol of Identity
St Augustine's Tower has become deeply embedded in Hackney's civic identity. It appears on the borough's coat of arms and has adorned the masthead of the Hackney Gazette since the newspaper's foundation in 1864. During the First World War, the tower appeared on the cap badge of the 10th (Hackney) Battalions of the London Regiment, together with the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney's motto: "Justitia Turris Nostra" (Justice is our tower).
The tower's significance extends beyond symbolism. It stands near what historians believe was "Haca's ey" — the raised ground in marshland that gave Hackney its Saxon name. The site occupies the historic heart of the medieval village, serving what was once the largest civil parish in Middlesex.
Tudor Connections
The tower is a tangible link to Hackney's Tudor heyday, when the village was home to courtiers and nobility. Worshippers at the church included Ralph Sadleir, Thomas Sutton, Thomas Cromwell, and the Earl of Northumberland. The diarist Samuel Pepys visited in 1667. The Knights Templar once owned much of the surrounding land; after their suppression in 1308, their estates passed to the Knights Hospitaller, leading to the church's eventual rededication.
Preservation and Public Access
After years of neglect, the tower was made safe in 1983 under the Urban Programme Environment Project's Facelift scheme. In 1990, the Hackney Historic Buildings Trust assumed responsibility for its care. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £231,000 in 2005 enabled substantial repairs and improvements.
Today, the tower is open to the public on the last Sunday of every month (except December) from 2pm to 4:30pm. Admission is free. The ground floor, accessible by ramp, houses an exhibition with informative panels and a touchscreen terminal offering a virtual reality experience showing the tower in its original setting. Visitors who can manage the 135-step spiral stone staircase may climb to the upper floors, including the bell room on the third floor.
St John's Church Gardens, where the tower stands, received Green Flag Award and Green Flag Heritage status in 2008. The Hackney Historic Buildings Trust continues to seek volunteers to assist with open days and special events.
The Tower Today
St Augustine's Tower represents more than architectural survival. It embodies the continuity of Hackney's identity through centuries of transformation. From medieval parish church to bell house, from public mortuary to community heritage space, the tower has adapted to changing times while remaining a constant presence in the borough's skyline. For Hackney residents and visitors alike, it stands as a reminder that beneath the bustle of modern London lies a history that stretches back to Saxon times.