St Mary on Paddington Green Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary on Paddington Green |
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| 51°31′13″N 0°10′31″W / 51.5204°N 0.1753°W | |
| Location | Little Venice, London, W2 1NB |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Little Venice |
| Deanery | Westminster Paddington |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Charing Cross |
| Episcopal area | Two Cities (London and Westminster) |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
St Mary on Paddington Green is an old and important church in London. It is located in an area called Little Venice. Many people see this church every day because it stands near busy roads like Edgware Road and Harrow Road. It's a key part of the Paddington Green conservation area, which is protected for its history.
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A Look Back at St Mary's
This church is actually the third one built on this spot! It used to be a main building in the old villages of Paddington and Lilestone. A famous writer named John Donne gave his very first sermon in the original church. Later, the well-known artist William Hogarth got married in the second church building.
The church you see today was started in 1788 and finished in 1791. It was designed by an architect named John Plaw. He gave it a special shape, like a Greek Cross, using yellow bricks and white stone. This church is one of only two buildings by Plaw that still exist in the UK. He later moved to Canada and designed many buildings there.
Changes Over Time
The church was changed a bit in the 1800s. But in the early 1970s, an architect named Raymond Erith helped make it look like it did when it was first built. This work was paid for with money from building the Westway motorway, which runs right next to the church. During this restoration, the church's chancel (the area around the altar) was put back to its original style. The main seating area was given special box pews, and the organ was moved to the back of the church. The organ case is a memorial to Raymond Erith. Inside the church, you can also find memorials to important people who lived in the area, like the sculptor Joseph Nollekens and the dictionary maker Peter Mark Roget.
St Mary's Gardens: A Peaceful Spot
Next to the church is its old churchyard. In the 1890s, this area was turned into a public park called St Mary's Gardens. It's a nice grassy area with trees.
You can find the grave of a very famous 18th-century actress, Sarah Siddons, towards the north end of the park. Some of the old gravestones from the churchyard are now stacked against a wall in the gardens.
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In the 1960s, part of the churchyard was removed to build the Marylebone Flyover road. The remains of people buried there were carefully moved to a special area in Mill Hill cemetery. A plaque marks this spot.
Famous People Buried Here
Many interesting people have been buried at St Mary's, either in the remaining churchyard or in St Mary's Gardens. Here are a few:
- Thomas Banks (1735–1805), a talented sculptor.
- William Collins (1788–1847), a well-known artist.
- Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846), another important painter.
- Joseph Nollekens (1737–1823), a famous sculptor, and his artist father, Joseph Francis Nollekens.
- Emma Paterson (1846–1886), a brave woman who worked for women's rights and helped start trade unions.
- Sarah Siddons (1755–1831), a very famous actress from the 1700s.
- Sir Stephen Spender (1909–1995), a celebrated poet.
- John Julius Norwich (1929–2018), a historian, writer, and TV personality.
