The medieval church of Saint Mary's, north-west London, consecrated in 1094, watches over the city from its vantage point on the summit of Harrow-on-the-Hill.
St. Mary's and Archbishop Lanfranc
St. Mary’s Church, on the summit of Harrow-on-the-Hill in north-west London was commissioned by Archbishop Lanfranc and consecrated in 1094.
Little remains of Lanfranc's original structure except for the lower part of the tower. The west door, with its typical Norman arch, was probably inserted into the tower around 1140.
Major Rebuilding
In approximately 1200 a major rebuilding scheme started. A new Chancel was designed with a fine arch, colourful roof and lancet windows. Not long after this the north and south transepts were added.
In 1437 the new Rector of St. Mary's John Byrkhede, a master builder, removed the roof of the nave and raised the existing walls. Byrkhede installed a magnificent carved roof with more than 300 carvings. He blocked up the 13th century windows and added the clerestory with new windows with Perpendicular tracery that still survive. Three original Norman lancet windows were rediscovered on the south side of the chancel towards the end of the 19th century.
Harrow’s Most Significant Landmark
By 1450 Byrkhede had completed St. Mary's spire. The wooden spire is covered with twelve tons of lead. Despite being damaged twice by fire it still dominates the skyline and is visible from many points across London.
Points of Interest
The door into the north porch, approximately 800 years old, still retains its ancient lock, studs and handle. It was originally the external door to the south porch.
The original Font, of Purbeck marble, dates from about 1200. It was almost completely lost when it was replaced in about 1800. The original resided in a local garden for nearly fifty years before being repaired and returned to its rightful home.
In the north transept is a chest that was probably used to store vestments. The chest has been in use for over eight hundred years.
The pulpit is Jacobean, c.1657. It has its own curious story. A parishioner, Mr Tanner Arnold, presented it to St. Mary's in 1708. One wonders how, or from where, did Mr. Arnold obtain this magnificently carved item in the first place?
A Guide to the Architecture
The Church shows evidence of architecture from many different periods.
The Parish and Borough Church of St. Mary gave permission for the following table to be reproduced here.
The table comes from “A Detailed Guide to St. Mary's - The Parish and Borough Church of St. Mary, Harrow on the Hill” (Samuel Gardner, published by St. Mary's Church, 1918).
The table gives the approximate dates and styles of architecture to be found at St. Mary's.
1066-1190. NORMAN
The lower portion of the Tower, in which the West Doorway is an
insertion of about 1130.
1195-1205. EARLY ENGLISH
The original portions of the Lancet Windows in the Chancel, the Chancel Arch, the South Aisle Transept Arch, the Responds of the Nave, the Font.
1220-1240. EARLY ENGLISH
The Columns and Arches of the Nave, the North and South Doorways and North Door, the West Window and Staircase Turret in the Tower, the Tower Arch.
1240-1260. EARLY ENGLISH
The Transept Arches and Responds, the North Aisle Transept Arch and its Head Corbels.
1440-1460. PERPENDICULAR
The Aisle Windows, the Clerestory and Roofs of Nave and Transepts, the Transept Windows, the South Porch with its Parvise.
The massive Buttresses of the Tower are of various dates. The Chancel, with its North Aisle and Vestry, is modern, except the South Wall, also the North Porch. There is no genuine work of the Decorated or 14th century style.
A thousand years on…
St. Mary's is a place of peace and tranquillity and despite its lack of foundations the tower still stands firm. That most visitors will fall in love with St. Mary's there is no doubt. On each return visit she will reveal another of her secrets, another clue to a long and fascinating past.
