St Mary's Church, Wimbledon
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Wimbledon is a Church of England
church and is part of the Parish of Wimbledon
, south-west London
, England
. It has existed since the 12th century and may be the church recorded in the Domesday Book
in the Mortlake Hundred. It is still in active use today.
The beams in the chancel roof were re-discovered during renovation work of the chancel in 1860. They are thought to be Medieval in origin. The beams are decorated with a chevron and flower pattern and were restored in 1993 as part of the church's 150th anniversary celebrations.
At the east end of the churchyard is the large mausoleum of Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, the renowned engineer of the Embankment and the sewer system in London
around 1858. There is also a memorial stone to Sir Joseph within the church.
The Garden Hall was completed in 2003 due to the need of more space for church activities, especially the growing Sunday School
. The building is of modern design, and has won architectural awards. One wall is a large glass window, part of which opens to give access to the grass area outside. It was officially opened on 3 May 2003 by Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church and is part of the Parish of Wimbledon
Wimbledon (ecclesiastical parish)
Wimbledon is an ecclesiastical parish and part of the Rural Deanery of Merton and Southwark Diocese in Wimbledon, London, UK. There are five churches, four of which are part of the Wimbledon Team Ministry.-Churches:* St Mary's, St. Mary's Road....
, south-west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has existed since the 12th century and may be the church recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in the Mortlake Hundred. It is still in active use today.
History
There have been four churches on the site since 1086:- The Medieval Church — 11th Century to 13th Century.
- The Second Church — Late 13th Century until 1786.
- The Georgian Church — 1780s to 1840s.
- The Victorian Church — Completed in 1843 and survives today.
The Victorian Church
The present church dates from 1843, and was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, then working for the architects 'Messers Scott and Moffat'. Scott was given the brief of building the church without exceeding a strict budget of £4000, which he succeeded in doing by incorporating parts of the earlier building. It is still possible to see these older parts today. Another visibly notable addition was the tower and spire, which is 196 feet tall.The beams in the chancel roof were re-discovered during renovation work of the chancel in 1860. They are thought to be Medieval in origin. The beams are decorated with a chevron and flower pattern and were restored in 1993 as part of the church's 150th anniversary celebrations.
Memorials
The oldest memorial in the church dates back to 1537 in memory of Philip and Margaret Lewston, and has survived two church rebuilds.At the east end of the churchyard is the large mausoleum of Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, the renowned engineer of the Embankment and the sewer system in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
around 1858. There is also a memorial stone to Sir Joseph within the church.
Church halls
Fellowship House was built in 1974 and replaced a small room above a shop in Wimbledon Village. It was used for many activities both by the church and outside groups. Today, it is a day nursery during the week and is used by the church at weekends. The Parish Office is located in Fellowship House.The Garden Hall was completed in 2003 due to the need of more space for church activities, especially the growing Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
. The building is of modern design, and has won architectural awards. One wall is a large glass window, part of which opens to give access to the grass area outside. It was officially opened on 3 May 2003 by Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
.
Services
Sundays:- 8:00am — Holy Communion
- 9:30am — Sung Eucharist
- 11:15am — Informal Worship
- 6:30pm — Evensong
In Wimbledon Team Ministry
In local area
- Emmanuel Church, Wimbledon
- Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon (Roman Catholic)Sacred Heart Church WimbledonSacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic church and parish in Wimbledon, South West London run by the Jesuits, that serves the Catholic community of Wimbledon and surrounding areas.-General:...
- Holy Trinity South Wimbledon website
- Christ Church West Wimbledon website
- Trinity Church Wimbledon (URC) website
See also
- Parish of WimbledonWimbledon (ecclesiastical parish)Wimbledon is an ecclesiastical parish and part of the Rural Deanery of Merton and Southwark Diocese in Wimbledon, London, UK. There are five churches, four of which are part of the Wimbledon Team Ministry.-Churches:* St Mary's, St. Mary's Road....
- History of St Mary's Church