St Mary's Church, Ealing Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church
West face of St Mary's Church, South Ealing
St Mary's Church Location in Greater London
51°30′16″N 0°18′21″W / 51.5043446°N 0.3057416°W / 51.5043446; -0.3057416
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	1866
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	19 Jan 1981
Architect(s)	Samuel Sanders Teulon
Style	Romanesque
Years built	1865-1873
Administration
Parish	Ealing St Mary
Deanery	Ealing
Archdeaconry	Northolt
Diocese	London
Province	Canterbury

St Mary's Church in Ealing, London, is a beautiful and historic church. It's located on St Mary's Road and is an important part of the local community. This church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's a special place with historical or architectural importance that needs to be protected.

The church building you see today has a very interesting history. The first church on this spot was a medieval one, but it was taken down in 1720. A new church was then built and opened in 1740. This second church was designed by James Horne.

The Church's Design and History
Special Features Inside the Church
Gallery
See also

The Church's Design and History

The current church was designed by a famous architect named Samuel Sanders Teulon. He worked on the church between 1865 and 1873. Teulon made the older Georgian church much bigger and redecorated it. He gave it a new look that made it seem like a Romanesque or Greek Byzantine basilica from the outside.

When the new building was finished in 1866, it was officially opened by Bishop Tait, who was the Bishop of London at the time. He really liked Teulon's changes. Bishop Tait said that Teulon had turned a "Georgian monstrosity" into something beautiful, like a "Byzantine Basilica."

Inside, the church has a clever mix of old and new styles. It uses medieval (Gothic) ideas but with modern materials like cast iron. This shows how architects in the industrial age could combine different styles.

Over the years, the church has had more additions and updates.

In 1887, a vestry (a room for clergy and church items) was added.
The organ was made larger in 1927.
The church was redecorated again in the 1950s.
A new area called 'The Polygon' was created in 1978.
More restoration work was completed in 2003 to keep the church in good condition.

Special Features Inside the Church

St Mary's Church has many interesting features to explore.

It has a wonderful collection of stained glass windows from the Victorian era. These windows were ordered by Thomas Boddington between 1864 and 1874. He lived nearby at Gunnersbury Lodge.
You can also find old wall tablets and a medieval brass plaque. This brass belonged to Richard and Kateryn Amondesham and dates back to around 1490. These pieces were kept from the very first church.
The reredos, which is a decorative screen behind the altar, is made of marble and Caen stone. It is decorated with beautiful mosaics created by Salviati, famous glassmakers.
There are also memorials to important people. One is for John Horne Tooke, who passed away in 1812. This memorial was made by Louis Frederick Roslyn. Another is a modern brass plaque for Walrond Jackson, who was the Bishop of Antigua and died in Ealing in 1895.