List of churches in the City of Westminster facts for kids
This is a list of cathedrals, churches and chapels in the City of Westminster within the Greater London. The list focuses on the more permanent churches and buildings which identify themselves as places of Christian worship. The denominations appended are those by which they self-identify.
Contents
History
London's churches and chapels are extraordinarily numerous and diverse. Anglican and nonconformist churches and chapels are most numerous, but there are also many Catholic churches as well as places of worship for non-Christian religions.
Most of the Anglican churches lie within the Anglican dioceses of London to the north and Southwark to the south. The Catholic dioceses that cover Greater London are, north of the Thames and west of the Lea, the Diocese of Westminster; south of the Thames the Archdiocese of Southwark; and north of the Thames and east of the Lea, the Diocese of Brentwood.
Significance
Although many churches and chapels were entirely or partly lost to 19th-century demolitions and to bombing in the Second World War, many historic, architecturally significant and religiously significant buildings remain, particularly in the City of London and the City of Westminster. A number of the churches are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons. Churches in this list belong to various denominations, as indicated.
List of churches
Active churches
Church name | Location | Dedication | Web | Founded | Denomination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St Clement Danes | Strand | Pope Clement I | C9th | Anglican | Rebuilt C11th, C14th, 1680–1682, 1958 | |
Westminster Abbey | Westminster | Peter | C10th | Royal Peculiar. Rebuilt 1245–1517 | ||
St Margaret, Westminster | Westminster | Margaret the Virgin | C11th | Rebuilt 1486–1523. Now under governance of W. Abbey | ||
St Marylebone Parish Church | Marylebone | Mary | C12th | Relocated 1400, rebuilt 1742, relocated 1813–1817 | ||
St Martin-in-the-Fields | Trafalgar Square | Martin of Tours | C13th | Rebuilt 1542, 1721–1726 | ||
St Mary le Strand | Strand | Mary | C13th | Met in St Clement Danes 1549–1714. Rebuilt 1714–1723 | ||
St Mary on Paddington Green | Little Venice | Mary | Medieval | Rebuilt 1791. Previous buildings were St Nicholas' & St James's | ||
Savoy Chapel | Strand | John the Baptist | 1512 | Royal peculiar | ||
Queen's Chapel | St James | 1623–1625 | Chapel Royal. External adjunct to St James's Palace | |||
St Paul, Covent Garden | Covent Garden | Paul | 1631–1633 | Known as 'the actors' church'. First post-Reformation UK church | ||
St James, Piccadilly | Piccadilly | James | 1684 | Restored following Blitz | ||
St Anne, Soho | Soho | Anne | 1677–1686 | Destroyed 1940, rebuilt 1990–1991 | ||
St George, Hanover Square | Mayfair | George | 1721–1725 | |||
Grosvenor Chapel | Mayfair | Richard Grosvenor | 1730 | Became chapel of ease 1829 | ||
Annunciation, Marble Arch | Marble Arch | Annunciation | 1787 | Chapel of ease until rebuilding 1912–13 | ||
St John's Wood Church | St John's Wood | None? | 1814 | Chapel of ease until 1952 | ||
St Matthew, Bayswater | Bayswater | Matthew | 1818 | Rebuilt 1882 | ||
St Mary, Bryanston Square | Marylebone | Mary | 1823–1824 | Commissioners' church. Recent HTB church plant | ||
All Souls, Langham Place | Regent Street | All Souls | 1824 | Commissioners' church | ||
St Peter, Eaton Square | Belgravia | Peter | 1824–1827 | Commissioners' church. Rebuilt 1837, and 1991 following arson | ||
St John the Evangelist, Hyde Park | Paddington | John the Evangelist | 1832 | |||
St James, Paddington | Paddington | James the Less | 1841–1843 | Rebuilt 1882, renovated 1958 | ||
St Paul, Knightsbridge | Knightsbridge | Paul | 1843 | |||
St Barnabas, Pimlico | Pimlico | Barnabas | 1847–1850 | |||
St Matthew, Westminster | Westminster | Matthew | 1849–1851 | Rebuilt 1984 following arson | ||
St Gabriel, Warwick Square | Pimlico | Gabriel | 1851–1853 | Anglo-Catholic | ||
St Saviour, Warwick Avenue | Warwick Avenue | Jesus | 1855–1856 | Rebuilt 1976. United with St Mary on Paddington Green 2010 | ||
St Stephen, Westbourne Park | Westbourne | Stephen | 1856 | |||
All Saints, Margaret Street | Fitzrovia | All Saints | 1850–1859 | Anglo-Catholic | ||
St James the Less, Pimlico | Pimlico | James the Less | 1858–1861 | |||
St Saviour, Pimlico | Pimlico | Jesus | 1863–1864 | |||
St Cyprian, Clarence Gate | Marylebone | Cyprian | 1866 | Rebuilt 1903 | ||
St Augustine, Kilburn | Kilburn | Augustine of C? | 1870 | Rebuilt 1880. Bishop of Fulham | ||
St Mary Magdalene, Paddington | Paddington | Mary Magdalene | 1867–1872 | |||
St Mary, Bourne Street | Sloane Square | Mary | 1874 | |||
St Luke, West Kilburn | West Kilburn | Luke | 1876–1877 | |||
St David's Welsh Church, Paddington Green | Paddington | David of Wales | 1885 | First building 1890, rebuilt 1896 | ||
Emmanuel, Harrow Road | Paddington | Jesus | 1886 | Rebuilt 1995. United with St Luke's West Kilburn | ||
Holy Trinity, South Kensington | S Kensington | Trinity | 1901 | Earlier chapel in area dates back to 1629 | ||
Christ Church Mayfair | Mayfair | Jesus | 2001 | Anglican / Co-Mission | Church plant from St Helen's Bishopsgate. Building was CoE | |
Our Lady of the Assumption & St Gregory | Warwick Street | Mary & Gregory | 1730s | Roman Catholic | Rebuilt 1789–1790. Central church of Ordinariate of OL Walsingham | |
St Patrick, Soho Square | Soho Square | Patrick | 1792 | Rebuilt 1893. Masses in Spanish and Portuguese | ||
St James, Spanish Place | Marylebone | James | 1793–1796 | Originally connected with Spanish Embassy. New building 1890 | ||
Our Lady of St John's Wood | St John's Wood | Mary | 1832 | Rebuilt 1836 | ||
Immaculate Conception, Farm Street | Mayfair | Imm Conception | 1849 | served by the Society of Jesus. Parish church from 1966 | ||
Our Lady of the Rosary | Marylebone | Mary | 1855 | Rebuilt 1963 | ||
St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater | Bayswater | Mary | 1851–1857 | |||
St Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street | Fitzrovia | Charles Borromeo | 1861–1863 | parish associated with the Neocatechumenal Way | ||
Notre Dame de France | Soho | Mary | 1865 | Francophone church. Building early C19th, reconstructed 1948–1953 | ||
Our Lady of Lourdes & St Vincent de Paul | Harrow Road | Mary & Vincent | 1876 | Building 1882, rebuilt 1976 | ||
Westminster Cathedral | Westminster | Precious Blood | 1895–1903 | |||
Our Lady of Sorrows/Our Lady of Lebanon | Paddington | Mary | 1912 | including services in both the Latin and Maronite rites | ||
Holy Apostles, Pimlico | Pimlico | Apostles | 1917 | Old chapel of ease destroyed 1941. Rebuilt as parish church 1957 | ||
Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Queensway | Queensway | Mary | 1954 | Became parish in 1973. Mass in English. Popular with visitors and tourists because of its location. | ||
Our Lady, Queen of the World Convent Chapel | St John's Wood | |||||
Sacred Heart of Jesus | Westminster | |||||
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile | Mayfair | Holy Family | 1965 | Ukrainian Catholic | Building erected 1887 as King's Weigh House Congregational | |
St Sophia's Cathedral, Bayswater | Bayswater | Wisdom of God | 1877–1879 | Greek Orthodox | Replaced earlier church of Christ our Saviour, London Wall | |
Annunciation of the Mother of God | Bayswater | Greek Orthodox | Archdiocesan Chapel | |||
Cathedral of the Dormition & All Saints | Knightsbridge | Dormition & All Sts | 1956 | Russian Orthodox | Building erected as All Saints Anglican church 1849 | |
St John's Wood Road Baptist Church | St John's Wood | 1826 | Baptist | Moved to present site 1900s | ||
Hinde Street Methodist Church | Marylebone | 1807–1810 | Methodist | Part of West London Methodist Mission; see also King's Cross MC | ||
Methodist Central Hall, Westminster | Westminster | 1905–1912 | Methodist | |||
St Paul's United Reformed Church | Bayswater | Paul | c. 1870 | URC | Formerly Presbyterian | |
Swiss Church in London | Covent Garden | 1762 | ? | French, German. First building 1775, current one 1855 | ||
Ulrika Eleonora Church | Marylebone | 1911 | Ch of Sweden Abroad | Only Swedish church in London | ||
French Protestant Church of London | Soho Square | 1550 | French Protestant | Building erected 1891–1893. Only Huguenot church in London | ||
New Life Bible Presbyterian Church | Queen's Park | 1993 | Presbyterian | Separated from URC, meets in ex-URC building | ||
Crown Court Church | Covent Garden | 1711 | Church of Scotland | Rebuilt 1909. Oldest CoS church in England | ||
Regent Hall | Oxford Street | 1882 | Salvation Army | |||
Orange Street Congregational Church | St James's | 1787 | EFCC | |||
Westminster Chapel | Pimlico | 1840 | EFCC-FIEC | founded as Congregational. New building 1865 | ||
Westminster Meeting House | Westminster | Quakers | ||||
Rossmore Hall Evangelical Church | Marylebone | Brethren | ||||
Hope Community Church | Covent Garden | Independent | Meets in a cafe. Was Covent Garden Evangelical Church | |||
Hope Hall | Queen's Park | C19th | Independent |
Defunct churches
Church name | Neighbourhood | Dedication | Founded | Ended | Denomination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St Peter, Vere Street | Marylebone | Peter | 1722 | C20th | Anglican | Once known as Oxford Chapel. Now home to London Institute for Contemporary Christianity |
St John, Smith Square | Smith Square | John the Evangelist | 1728 | 1941 | Restored 1962–1969, now used as a concert hall | |
St Mark, Mayfair | Mayfair | Mark | 1825–1828 | 1974 | Now used for events and other church groups | |
Holy Trinity, Marylebone | Marylebone | Trinity | 1828 | 1930s | Now used for holding events | |
Christ Church, Harrow Road | Paddington | Jesus | 1842 | 1940 | Demolished 1953 | |
Holy Trinity, Bishop's Bridge Road | Paddington | Trinity | 1846 | 1971 | Demolished 1984 | |
All Saints, Norfolk Square | Paddington | All Saints | 1848 | 1919 | Demolished 1961 | |
Christ Church, Lancaster Gate | Paddington | Jesus | 1856 | 1977 | Demolished | |
St Philip, Manor Place | Paddington | Philip | 1861 | 1893 | Demolished | |
St Michael & All Angels, Star Street | Paddington | Michael & Angels | 1864 | 1964 | Demolished 1967 | |
Christ Church Down Street | Mayfair | Jesus | 1865 | 1990s | Closed 1990s but now used by Christ Church Mayfair, a new CoE church (see above) | |
St Luke, Tavistock Road | Paddington | Luke | 1868 | 1963 | Demolished | |
St Peter, Elgin Avenue | Paddington | Peter | 1871 | 1975 | Demolished | |
St Paul, Harrow Road | Paddington | Paul | 1874 | 1947 | Demolished | |
St Jude, Lancefield Street | Paddington | Jude | 1879 | 1959 | Demolished | |
St Martha, Cirencester Street | Paddington | Martha | 1880 | 1957 | Demolished | |
St Simon, Saltram Crescent | Paddington | Simon the Zealot | 1899 | 1978 | ||
Enon Chapel | 1823 | 1839 | Baptist | |||
West Street Chapel | St James | 1741 | early C19th | Methodist | No longer used as a church | |
Queen's Park United Reformed Church | Harrow Road | URC |
Related lists
- List of churches in London
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of places of worship in London, 1804
- Union of Benefices Act 1860
- Commission for Building Fifty New Churches
External links/sources
- Anglican Diocese of London
- Baptist Union Churches
- Church of England Parish Finder
- Church of England churches in central London
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- The History Files Churches of the British Isles
- Congregational Churches in London
- Friends of the City Churches
- Gospel Hall Finder
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
- Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London
- Methodist Church of Great Britain Church Search
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood Parishes A-Z
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster – Virtual Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark – Parish Directory
- Seventh-day Adventist Churches in London
- United Reformed Church Find A Church
- Redeemed Christian Church of God