St Mary Magdalene, Paddington

Not to be confused with St Mary on Paddington Green Church.

St Mary Magdalene

St Mary Magdalene, Paddington, is a Grade I listed Anglican church at Rowington Close, London, dedicated to Jesus' follower, Saint Mary Magdalene.[1]

The parish was established in 1865 and work on the church started in 1867. Although complete in 1872 (152 years ago) (1872), a fire destroyed the brand new roof so the first Mass in the new building could not be celebrated until St Mary Magdalene's Day, 22 July 1873. The church was consecrated after completion of interior decoration on 21 October 1878 (146 years ago) (1878-10-21).

The architect was George Edmund Street, and this church is considered to be his masterpiece.[2][3] It includes notable stained glass by Henry Holiday, Salviati mosaics,[4] sculptures by Thomas Earp, a later crypt chapel by Ninian Comper, and a War Memorial by Martin Travers.

The painted ceiling of the nave, the work of Daniel Bell, was cleaned and restored during 2018–19,[5] with the help of a grant from the Lottery Heritage Fund.[6] With assistance from the Paddington Development Trust, an extension was also built, containing additional spaces and facilities intended for use by the wider local community.[7]

  1. ^ "Church of St Mary Magdalene". Historic England. 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Architecture". St Mary Magdalene's Church. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  3. ^ "St. Mary Magdalene in Paddington". The Victorian Web. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  4. ^ Kovach, R S (27 April 2013). "St. Mary Magdalene Paddington". The Salviati Architectural Mosaic Database. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  5. ^ Westlake, Polly (2021). "The Ceiling Paintings of St Mary Magdalene". Building Conservation. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Stunning ceiling revealed at St Mary Magdalene, Paddington". Caroe Architecture. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  7. ^ Jay Merrick (24 October 2019). "A broad church: Dow Jones's restoration of St Mary Magdalene". Architects Journal. Retrieved 7 September 2020.