ST MARY ABBOTS PARISH CHURCH
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​The Architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811 - 1878)

"It is a peaceful place for some quiet contemplation away from the bustle of the streets". 

     Early Churches of Kensington                               The Building of our Church                                       Sir George Gilbert Scott
​                          Wartime Damage                              The Cathedral-like Interior                     Famous Residents 
"We should not scruple to lay before you some grand design worthy of old Kensington.  We are persuaded that to bring forward a mean or shabby plan would be but to defeat our own ends....the house that is to be builded for the hand must be exceedingly magnificent........the work is great, for the place is not for man but for the Lord."   Archdeacon Sinclair 

​In early 1868, the Vicar of Kensington, Archdeacon Sinclair, commissioned Sir George Gilbert Scott to produce a sketch design of the new parish church of Kensington.  Scott was probably the most famous and most sought after architect of his day.  Scott’s first estimate of the cost was for £35,000, though the final figure was closer to £50,000.  The main building of the church was finished in early 1872 and consecrated on 14th May of that year.  
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The new church without the spire, 1872.  
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The spire and tower were not completed until 7 ½ years later, a year after Scott’s death.  They cost a further £24,000. 

"the final stone of the spire was laid by the vicar in person (Mr E. Carr Glyn) who, together with a party of twelve intrepid parishioners and the two church wardens, Mr R.H. Pearson and Mr Jubal Webb, five other clergy, a correspondent of  The Times, Mr Dove, the contractor and three 
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workmen, ascended the scaffolding by a series of canvas-cased ladders and held a short service of dedication - some 264 feet above the congregation assembled for a similar service in the nave of the church".  An extract from Miss Judith Gillum Scott's book 'The story of St Mary Abbots Kensington". 

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​​Much of the internal finishing and the addition of the cloister was carried out by his second son, John Oldrid Scott and grandson.

Dave walker writes for the Library Time Machine "This is the ‘winding and rising vaulted cloistral approach’ to the south door of St Mary Abbots added by John Oldrid Scott in 1889-93. The arched entrance almost looks forbidding – something about gothic tales and fanciful whims to fuel the overactive imagination – but as soon as you walk through, those feelings vanish. The sense of another era and the peace and quiet away from the traffic soon becomes a welcome respite."  


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​Sir George Gilbert Scott was the archetypal Victorian architect, confident and eclectic in his range of buildings and styles.  His designs included cottages and stately homes, gaols and workhouses, town halls and government offices.  His most famous secular buildings are probably the Foreign Office, Glasgow University, the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras railway station and the recently restored Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens.  He encompassed all the architectural styles of the day within his gamut. 

​Above all though, to both his contemporaries and to subsequent generations, he was a church architect who worked in a neo-Gothic style.  He and his office built or restored many hundreds of churches.  Many of Britain’s mediaeval cathedrals such as Lichfield, Chester, Chichester and St David’s, to name but a few, owe much of their modern appearance to Scott’s restoration.

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​St Mary Abbots, his last but one major church, represents Scott’s work at its best.  Broadly based on early Decorated style, sometimes known as Geometric, it is characterised by a relatively plain interior in the main body of the church which serves to focus attention on the more elaborate chancel, altar and reredos.  The exterior elements are excellently grouped and balanced, one of Scott’s great architectural skills.  With the exception of the spire, exterior elaboration is eschewed.  Instead, there is an effect of great strength and confidence, speaking silent volumes about Victorian society and its religion. 

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​ Given his constant involvement with church and cathedral restoration, it is inevitable that there are echoes of other older buildings, demonstrated by the two most dramatic exterior features. 

​The West front, with its tall window and excellent carved tympanum, is loosely based on Dunblane Cathedral, whilst the 278 ft high spire is clearly influenced by that of St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol.  Of Scott’s other original churches, All Souls’, Haley Hill, Halifax (1855-59) and his final building, St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh (1874-79) are most similar to St Mary Abbots.


The PCC of St Mary Abbots with Christ Church and St Philip is a Registered Charity : Number 1132235
The PCC of St Mary Abbots is a Registered Charity : Number 1132235
At St Mary Abbots we are committed to the safeguarding and care of children, young people and vulnerable adults.  
 ​Safeguarding ​
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  • Home
  • Services
    • Lent & Easter 2023
    • Sunday & Weekday Services
    • Family Eucharist
    • Baptism Sundays
    • Healing Eucharist
    • Taize Eucharist
  • Life events
    • Weddings
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Funerals
  • What is on
    • Lent Study Group
    • Lent Artist in Residence
    • Handel's Messiah, Part II & III
    • Royal College of Music Recitals
    • Ramp Project to mark 150 years
    • Lighting up the church
    • On-line Exhibition
  • About us
    • The Clergy & Parish Staff
    • Location
    • Mission Action Plan
    • Safeguarding
    • Vacancies
    • Gallery
    • Church Groups >
      • Homeless Ministry
      • Flower Arranger Group
    • Affiliated Groups & Charities >
      • Food Bank support
      • Glass Door support
    • Music at St Mary Abbots
    • Our Bells
    • History of St Mary Abbots >
      • Early Churches of Kensington
      • The building of our Church
      • Sir George Gilbert Scott
      • Famous residents
      • War Time Damage
      • The Cathedral-like Interior
    • PCC & Administration >
      • Annual report and financial statement
      • Electoral Roll >
        • Our Parish
      • PRIVACY NOTICE
    • Church Hire
    • St Mary Abbots Centre
  • Children
    • Children on Sunday >
      • Children's volunteers
    • Children's Choir
    • Bitesized Bible Group
    • School Eucharist
    • Mini Abbots Baby Group
    • Youth Ministry
    • Safeguarding children
  • Newsletter / Sermon
    • Sermons
    • Newsletter
    • Kensington Parish News
  • Support us
    • How to donate
    • Friends of St Mary Abbots
    • Legacy
    • Local Support