Welcome to St Mary on Paddington Green

The present St Mary’s, the third on this site, was built in 1791 by John Plaw, at the junction of the (English) Harrow Road and the (Roman) Edgware Road. It is a very ancient part of London, steeped in history. The church is a delightful, Georgian building within its own extensive graveyard and contains fine monuments (by renowned sculptors such as Physick, Derby and Blore) to local luminaries including Nollekens, Roget and Sarah Siddons.

History of the building

The existing church of Saint Mary, Paddington Green was built under an Act of 1788, which authorised national collections and appointed 45 trustees, headed by Sir John Morshead and Robert Thistlethwayte. A small building of yellow brick with white stone dressings, its floor plan is that of a Greek cross, whose square centre lies beneath a shallow dome carried by four columns and whose four short arms have low segmental vaults.

The eastern arm forms a chancel, with a Venetian window, and the other arms hold sections of a three-sided gallery. The south front forms the main façade, whose pedimented Tuscan portico is grander than the semicircular entrance porch to the west. A small clock tower and cupola surmount the dome. The church was begun in 1788 and consecrated in 1791, when it was widely admired. It is notable as Plaw’s only surviving building, apart from the circular Island House, built in 1774 on Belle Isle, Lake Windermere, Cumbria.

What’s it like at St Mary’s

On Sunday mornings at 9.30am we at St Mary’s offer you a warm, friendly welcome to our church.

Our congregation is made up of a wide variety of backgrounds and ages. Our liturgy is a traditional sung High Mass with fine music provided by our Director of Music in the beautiful atmosphere of an historic church. The reassuring formality of the liturgy provides a sound platform for exploratory and stimulating homilies by our preachers.

Baptised Christians of all denominations are invited to receive Holy Communion, and all are welcome to receive a blessing. After Mass, we meet and catch up with each other over refreshments in the Assembly Rooms across the churchyard.