St Mary's Church, Hanwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Mary |
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| St Mary’s Church Hanwell | |
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 Saint Mary
Location in Greater London
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| 51°30′49.51″N 0°20′51.4″W / 51.5137528°N 0.347611°W | |
| OS grid reference | TQ 147 807 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stmaryshanwell.org.uk/index.php |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | approx. 954 AD ? |
| Founder(s) | St. Dunstan? |
| Consecrated | Present building: 27 April 1842 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott with W.B. Moffatt |
| Style | Mainly Gothic Revival with some interior Georgian elements. |
| Construction cost | £2,369 (Two thousand, three hundred and sixty-nine Pounds sterling) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 400 |
| Number of floors | Two |
| Floor area | 518.04 square metres (5,576.1 sq ft) |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Flint-rubble and mortar, white brick quioning and stone dressings. |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hanwell |
| Deanery | Ealing (West) |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
St Mary's Parish Church is an old Church of England church. You can find it in Hanwell, West London. This church has been around since at least the 1100s!
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church sits on the highest spot in Hanwell. From here, you get an amazing view of the River Brent valley. It's a great place for a church!
We don't have strong proof that a church was here before the 1100s. But some people think this spot might have been a pagan place of worship a long time ago. This is because it's so high up and its tall broach spire can be seen from far away. However, there is no real evidence to prove this idea.
One person who thought this was Sir Montagu Sharpe. He was a local historian. In nearby Northolt, another church on high ground has shown signs of ancient people living there. These high places, like St Mary's in Hanwell, St. Mary's, Harrow on the Hill, and Castle Bar, were natural gathering spots. People would meet there, no matter what they believed.
It's possible that the first church here was built around 954 AD. This might have been in the time of St. Dunstan. But old records are not very clear. We know for sure that a church was here by the mid-1100s. Back then, it was the main church for a large area. This area stretched south all the way to the River Thames at what is now called New Brentford.
The Victorian Church Building
The old church building became too small as more people moved to Hanwell. Even after adding a gallery in 1823, it wasn't big enough. So, people decided to build a new, larger church.
The famous architect George Gilbert Scott was chosen to design it. He used the popular Gothic style. This meant the church had pointed arches and walls made of flint with white brick corners. The bell tower, with its tall, pointed spire, stands out and can be seen from far away. The new church was officially opened by Charles James Blomfield, the Bishop of London, on April 27, 1842.
George Gilbert Scott later said he wasn't happy with this church. He called it "a mass of horrors." He realized he should have included a chancel (the part of the church near the altar). So, a chancel and another small room were added in 1898.
A famous painter named William Frederick Yeames used to be a churchwarden here. People think he painted the pictures on the walls in the chancel.
Cool Features of the Church
The stained glass windows at the east end are very special. They use bright, strong colors. These windows show important Bible stories: the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, and the resurrection.
Memorials and Important People
In the churchyard, there is a monument for the Glasse family. It is a special historical building.
Jonas Hanway, a great reformer, was buried in the church's crypt in 1786. His memorial plaque is in Westminster Abbey.
Behind the pulpit, there is a beautiful memorial for Margaret Emma Orde. She was the wife of Sir John Orde, 1st Baronet. A sculptor named van Gilder made it.
At the west end, you can see a bronze statue of Rev. Alec Field. He was a missionary who died in 1915. He was on a ship called the SS Falaba when a German submarine attacked it. Another missionary, Alice Wait, wrote about the attack and seeing Rev. Fields for the last time.
Inside the church, there is a plaque for Bombardier Billy Wells. He was a famous English boxer. Many people remember him as the man who struck the gong at the start of movies from the Rank Organisation. He often played golf nearby. His ashes are now in the church's crypt.
Famous Rectors of St Mary's
One of the most famous rectors was Dr. George H. Glasse. He was a great scholar who knew a lot about Greek and Latin. He was also a writer and had a lot of influence in society. His home, built in 1809, is still standing near the church. It's a charming cottage called The Hermitage.
Rev. Derwent Coleridge became rector in 1864. He was also a respected scholar and author. His father was Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a famous poet. Derwent Coleridge helped build St. Mark's Church to serve the growing community. That building is now apartments.
Later, Fred Secombe became rector in 1969. He was the brother of the famous entertainer Harry Secombe. Fred Secombe became a well-known author after he left the church and moved back to Wales.
More recently, Matthew Grayshon was the rector for 23 years. Before him was John Weeks in the 1980s. The current rector is Andrew Dand, who joined St Mary's in June 2017. Helen Cosstick is also a curate here.
St Mary's in Movies and TV
St Mary's is a great place for filming because there's no traffic noise. Here are some things filmed there:
- Staggered (1994): This movie starred Martin Clunes. St Mary's was used for most of the church scenes when his character was late for his own wedding.
- Shine on Harvey Moon (1993): This TV show was set in the 1940s. The funeral scenes were filmed at St Mary's.
- Not Going Out (2009, 2014): Two wedding scenes for this TV show were filmed at St. Mary's.
