St Mary's, Bourne Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's, Bourne Street |
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The inside of St Mary's, looking toward the altar in the front of the church.
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| 51°29′30.52″N 0°9′16.05″W / 51.4918111°N 0.1544583°W | |
| Location | 30 Bourne Street, London, SW1W 8JJ |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | RJ Withers |
| Style | Early English Period |
| Years built | 1874 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary the Virgin Pimlico |
| Diocese | London |
St Mary's, Bourne Street, is a historic Church of England church in London, located near Sloane Square. It was built in 1874 with the goal of serving the poor families living in the nearby Pimlico neighborhood. The church was built quickly and was not expensive.
Contents
History and Design of the Church
In the 1800s, London's neighborhoods of Belgravia and Pimlico were growing fast. This meant many new churches were needed for the growing population.
At the same time, the city was building the London Underground, its subway system. To build the tunnels, workers used a method called "cut and cover". They would dig a large trench, build the tunnel, and then cover it back up. This process knocked down many houses.
A Simple and Speedy Construction
St Mary's was built in 1874 right over the path of the District line, one of the new subway tunnels. The church was designed by an architect named RJ Withers. He was known for building nice-looking churches out of brick that didn't cost a lot of money.
Because it was built to be inexpensive, the church has a simple design. It was made from machine-made red brick. It has a plain slate roof with a small tower called a bell cote, which holds a single bell. During World War II, the church was damaged by bombs, and supportive brick structures called buttresses were added to make it stronger.
The Beautiful Interior
Even though the outside is simple, the inside of St Mary's is beautifully decorated. When it first opened, a newspaper called the Church Times described it as "remarkably effective." The main part of the church, called the nave, is very tall. The ceiling is painted with bright colors.
Behind the altar, there is a large decorative screen called a reredos. It shows a crucifix with the Virgin Mary and St. John on either side. The altar itself is made of cedar wood and decorated with gold and color.
Art and Windows
The church is filled with amazing artwork.
- Paintings: On the walls above the arches, there are paintings by the artist Nathaniel Westlake. They show important figures from the Bible, like Adam and Eve, Noah, and Moses.
- Rose Window: In a small chapel near the altar, there is a round stained-glass window called a rose window. It was made by Margaret Aldrich Rope to replace a window that was destroyed in the war.
- West Window: At the back of the church, hidden behind the organ, is another stained-glass window. It was designed by Mary Lowndes in 1897 and shows St. George and St. Edward the Confessor.
St Mary's Today
Worship services at St Mary's are very traditional. The music includes ancient Gregorian chants, as well as music from the Renaissance and modern times. The church uses the classic language of the Book of Common Prayer.
St Mary's is part of the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England. This means its services and beliefs have many things in common with the Catholic Church. The church follows a traditional approach and has specific rules about who can serve as a priest.
