St Mary's Church, Ealing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Ealing
St Mary's Church, South Ealing
St Mary's Church, Ealing 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
Deanery	Ealing
Archdeaconry	Northolt
Diocese	London
Province	Canterbury

St Mary's Church, Ealing is a historic church located on St. Mary's Road in Ealing, England. It is an important building and is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it is a special building that needs to be protected because of its history and architecture.

The church you see today has a very interesting past. It looks like a Romanesque building, which is a style of building from the Middle Ages.

History of St Mary's Church

The story of St Mary's Church goes back a long time.

From Medieval to Georgian

• The very first church on this spot was built in medieval times.
• This old church was taken down in 1720.
• A new church was then built and opened in 1740. It was designed by an architect named James Horne. This church was built in the Georgian style, which was popular at the time.

The Victorian Transformation

• The church changed again between 1865 and 1873.
• A famous architect named S.S. Teulon redesigned and made the Georgian church much bigger.
• He gave it a new look, making it seem like a Greek Byzantine basilica. This is a grand style of church building.
• The "new" building was officially opened and blessed in 1866 by Bishop Tait. He was the Bishop of London at the time.
• Bishop Tait was very impressed with Teulon's work. He said it was like turning a "Georgian monstrosity" into a beautiful "Byzantine Basilica."

Later Changes and Updates

• Over the years, more parts were added or changed.
• In 1887, a vestry was built. This is a room often used by clergy to prepare for services.
• The church organ was made larger in 1927.
• The church was redecorated again in the 1950s.
• In 1978, a new area called 'The Polygon' was created.
• The church also had more restoration work done in 2003 to keep it in good condition.

Inside the Church

St Mary's Church has many interesting features inside.

Stained Glass Windows

• The church has a wonderful collection of Victorian stained glass windows.
• These windows were ordered by a man named Thomas Boddington. He lived nearby at Gunnersbury Lodge.
• He commissioned them between 1864 and 1874. They add beautiful colors and light to the church.

Old Memorials and Art

• Some parts of the very first medieval church were kept.
• These include old wall tablets and a special brass memorial.
• The brass memorial is for Richard and Kateryn Amondesham, who lived around 1490.
• The main altar area, called the reredos, is made of marble and Caen stone.
• It is decorated with beautiful mosaics made by Salviati, a famous glassmaking company.
• There is also a memorial for John Horne Tooke, who passed away in 1812. This was made by a sculptor named Louis Frederick Roslyn.
• Another modern brass memorial honors Walrond Jackson. He was a bishop from Antigua who died in Ealing in 1895.

Gallery

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  A look inside St Mary's Church

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  One of the beautiful stained-glass windows

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  A close-up of the angels painted on the ceiling

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  The west end of the church building