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St Mary Abbots
St Mary Abbots Church Kensington.jpg
St Mary Abbots Church in 2007
Location Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London W8 4LA
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship High Church
History
Status Parish church
Consecrated 1262
Architecture
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade II*
Architect(s) Sir George Gilbert Scott
Style Neo-gothic
Completed 1872
Specifications
Capacity 700
Length 179 feet (55m)
Width 109 feet (34m)
Number of spires One
Spire height 278 feet (85m)
Administration
Parish Kensington
Deanery Kensington
Archdeaconry Middlesex
Episcopal area Kensington
Diocese London
Province Canterbury

St Mary Abbots is a beautiful church found in Kensington, London W8. It stands proudly on Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street.

The church you see today was finished in 1872. It was designed by a famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott. He mixed two old styles: neo-Gothic and early-English. This amazing building is known for having the tallest spire (a tall, pointed tower) in London. It's the latest church to be built on this spot, where churches have stood since the early 1100s.

St Mary Abbots Church, along with its railings, is a very important building. It's listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of special historical or architectural interest.

A Look Back at St Mary Abbots

How the Church Began

The story of St Mary Abbots starts with Aubrey de Vere I, a Norman knight. After the Norman Conquest, he was given land in Kensington. Around 1100, his oldest son, Godfrey, became very ill. He was cared for by Faritius, who was the abbot (leader) of the Benedictine Abbey of St Mary in Abingdon.

Godfrey de Vere sadly passed away in 1106 when he was about 19. The de Vere family was very thankful to the abbey for their kindness. Because of this, they gave the abbey 270 acres (1.1 km²) of land.

In 1262, the abbey built a church and created a parish in Kensington. They named the church after St Mary. The name Abbots comes from its strong connection to the old Abingdon Abbey. This led to a disagreement with the Bishop of London. After a legal case, the bishop gained control over the church. However, the abbey kept its rights over the land around it. We know the names of the vicars (church leaders) all the way back to 1262.

Rebuilding Over Time

St Mary Abbots old
Old St Mary Abbots Church, in 1869, shortly before it was taken down.

The first Norman church was rebuilt in 1370.

Later, in 1689, King William III moved the Royal Court to Kensington Palace. This made the area very popular and fashionable. The medieval church became too small for all the new people. So, it was taken down at the end of the 1600s. A new church, built in a Late Renaissance style, took its place.

But as London grew even more in the 1800s, this church also became too small. Around 1860, the vicar, Archdeacon William Sinclair, started a big plan to build a grand new church.

The architect George Gilbert Scott was chosen for the job. He suggested taking down the existing church to use the good location at the road junction. The design of St Mary Abbots was likely inspired by Scott's earlier work on Dunblane Cathedral. For example, the tall window and carved stone above the entrance on the west side are similar. The church's spire is 278 feet (85 meters) high. It was clearly inspired by the spire of St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol.

The current church still has many items from the older churches. These include funeral monuments from the mid-1600s onwards. In June 2015, the church started a big fundraising effort. They aimed to raise about £7.2 million. This money would be used to restore the church and make it a better community center.

Church Bells

The church tower holds a set of ten bells that are used for change ringing. This is a special way of ringing bells in a changing pattern. Five of these bells were made in 1772 by Thomas Janaway. The other five bells were made in 1879 by John Warner & Sons.

The five newer bells were paid for by Phyllis Cunliffe (1890–1974). She was the mother of Christopher Ironside, who designed coins.

The Church's Primary School

The church has a primary school right in its churchyard. This school started in 1707 as a charity school for children in need. The first school buildings were designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1711. However, these were taken down in the 1870s to make space for a town hall.

The school buildings you see today were built in 1875. They are special because they have painted stone statues of a boy and girl. These statues were made around 1715 by Thomas Eustace. They are now on the north side of the school. The school's playgrounds are mixed in with the churchyard. The school also keeps strong connections with the Church of England.

Famous People Connected to the Church

Notable Clergy

  • Donald Allchin: A theologian (someone who studies religion). He worked as a curate here from 1956 to 1960.

Notable Parishioners

Many famous people have been connected to St Mary Abbots Church:

Gallery

  • St Mary Abbots Church Northwest Entrance, Kensington, London, UK - Diliff

    West stained-glass window

  • St Mary Abbots Church Altar, Kensington, London, UK - Diliff

    Altar and nave

  • St Mary Abbots Church nave, Kensington, London, UK - Diliff

    Nave wide-angle view

  • St Mary Abbots Church Cloister, Kensington, London, UK - Diliff

    Church entrance and cloister

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