Denomination Church of England Rector The Revd Chris Hill Dedication Mary Province Province of Canterbury Archdeaconry Northolt | Website www.northolt.org Phone +44 20 8841 5691 Diocese Diocese of London Deanery London Borough of Ealing | |
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Parish St Mary with St Richard Address Sussex Crescent, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 4DR, United Kingdom UB5 4DR, United Kingdom Similar St Mary's Church - Hanwell, St Thomas the Apostle, St Peter's Church - Ealing, St John's Church Ealing, St Anselm's Church - Southall | ||
St Mary the Virgin is a 13th-century Anglican parish church in Northolt, London. Located on Ealing Road, it stands on a slope that originally overlooked the old village of Northolt and is situated adjacent to the site of a 15th-century manor house. It is one of London's smallest churches, with a nave measuring only 15 yards (14 m) by 8 yards (7.3 m). The church was built around 1290 and was expanded over the following centuries, with the chancel being added in 1521, the spired bell tower being added in the 16th century and a gallery being built at the west end of the church in 1703. Twin buttresses were erected against the west wall around 1718 to alleviate concerns that the church could slip down the hill. The internal beams are original and the bells date from the 17th century. The church was constructed from a variety of materials; the nave incorporates clunch (a type of limestone), flint and ironstone, and the mouldings of the doors and windows are made from Reigate stone.
Despite its small size, the church has played an important role in the ecclesiastical life of London; from the 13th century to 1873 its Rector served as the Bishop of London. It was the first Anglican parish to appoint a female Rector, the Reverend Pamela Walker.