View source for St Mary's Church, Harrow on the Hill

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox church
| name = St Mary's Church, <br>Harrow on the Hill
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| image = Parish Church of St Mary, Harrow on the Hill.JPG
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| caption = '''St Mary's Church'''
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| osgraw = TQ 15316 87452
| location = [[Harrow on the Hill]], <br />[[London]], HA1 3HL
| country = England
| denomination = [[Church of England]]
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| churchmanship = [[Anglo-Catholicism|Modern Catholic]]
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| website = {{URL|https://stmarysharrow.org.uk|stmarysharrow.org.uk}}
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| dedication = [[Blessed Virgin Mary]]
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| consecrated date = 4 January 1094
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| status = Active
| functional status = [[Parish church]]
| heritage designation = Grade I listed
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| parish = Harrow on the Hill
| deanery = Harrow
| archdeaconry = [[Archdeaconry of Northolt]]
| episcopalarea = [[Bishop of Willesden|Willesden Area]]
| diocese = [[Diocese of London]]
| province = [[Province of Canterbury]]
| bishop = Rt Revd Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Area Bishop of Willesden
| vicar = Revd James Power
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'''St Mary's, Harrow on the Hill''', is the [[Borough]] and [[Parish Church]] at [[Harrow on the Hill]] in northwest London, England. It is a [[listed building|Grade I-listed]] building.<ref name="NHLE">{{NHLE|num=1079742|desc=St Mary's, Harrow on the Hill|accessdate= 9 September 2016}}</ref>
==History==
Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, began the construction of a church on this site in 1087. He died in 1089. His successor was [[St Anselm]], who at the age of 60 was enthroned – after considerable delay – as archbishop in September 1093.
The new church building, now completed and dedicated in the name of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]], was consecrated by St Anselm on 4 January 1094<ref name="achurchnearyou">{{cite web| url=http://www.achurchnearyou.com/st-mary-harrow-on-the-hill/ | title=St Mary Harrow, Harrow | publisher=[[The Church of England]] | website=www.achurchnearyou.com | accessdate=20 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="harrowmuseum">{{cite web| url=http://harrowmuseum.org.uk/heritage-trail/st-marys-church/ | title=St. Mary's Church | publisher=[[Headstone Manor Museum]] | location=UK | accessdate=10 February 2017}}</ref> (a most appropriate date, as at the time, 25 December was a more [[pagan]] festival and [[Christians]] kept the feast of the Epiphany or [[Old Christmas Day]] as it came to be called – as their principal feast of the [[birth of Christ]]).
Little of this original building remains apart from the lower section of the tower. The [[Chancel]], with its fine arch and lancet windows, had been constructed by the end of the 12th century and this was followed by the rebuilding of the nave and the addition of the two transepts. The Rector of Harrow at this time was one [[Elias of Dereham]] (who was also involved in the building of [[Salisbury Cathedral]]) and it was he who appointed the first vicar, John de Holtune, about the year 1236.
In 1324, two chantries (small chapels endowed for the purpose of special prayer on behalf of their benefactors) were founded. One was the Chantry of St Michael in the free chapel of [[Tokyngton]], which was situated about one and a half miles away in [[Wembley]]. The second was founded by the then rector, William de Bosco, ‘‘to the honour of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary’’,{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}} and was in the present building. It had been assumed that this chantry was somewhere in the south transept, but recent investigations have convincingly suggested that it was over the south porch.
The small room, still there at the top of the staircase, contains evidence of Norman work, traces of colour decoration on the roof beams and a carved niche. John Byrkhede, himself a master builder, was appointed Rector of St Mary's in 1437, and died at Harrow in 1468.<ref name="VCH">{{cite book|editor1-last=Baker|editor1-first=T F T|editor2-last=Cockburn|editor2-first=J S|editor3-last=Pugh|editor3-first=R B|editor3-link=Ralph Pugh|title=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4|date=1971|publisher=[[Victoria County History]]|isbn=9780197227275|pages=249–255|edition=[[British History Online]]|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol4/pp249-255}}</ref> By 1450, the present clerestory windows, the nave and transept roofs, in the chancel and the upper stages of the tower with its famous spire, had been constructed. The roofs of the nave and transepts are reckoned to be the finest in Middlesex with 377 carvings,<ref name="harrowmuseum" /> while the spire is covered with 12 tons of lead.
400 years later, extensive [[Victorian restoration|restoration]] and renovation took place under [[George Gilbert Scott]] between 1846 and 1849.<ref name="Gardner">{{cite book|last1=Gardner|first1=Samuel|title=A Detailed Guide to St. Mary's|date=1918|location=Harrow}}</ref> A parapet was added to the nave and aisle roofs, the north wall of the chancel was pulled down to enlarge the building, the east walls were rebuilt, the church building faced with flint and a vestry added to the north side. This vestry was further enlarged about the turn of the 20th century.
A proposal in 1893 to build an organ at the south side of the chancel was abandoned when three Norman windows were uncovered, still showing decoration on the splays. The T.C.Lewis Company was commissioned to build a three manual organ which was completed in 1900. In 1932, Henry Willis & Co added new stops on the Great and Swell division. In 1970, Rushworth & Dreaper rebuilt the organ. B.C.Shepard of London electrified the stop action and Great/Swell organ division in 1991 and 1994. The Lewis console was modernised by David Wells of Liverpool in 1998.<ref name="Gardner" />
[[File:St Marys Church Organ 2001.png|thumb|[[List of musicians at English cathedrals|Martin Singleton]] playing St Mary's [[Lewis & Co|T.C.Lewis]] [[Pipe organ|organ]], 2001]]
The chancel roof, which had been renewed in the 18th century, was decorated in 1972 by Campbell Smith & Co.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}}
There are thirteen ancient brasses in the church, mostly badly mutilated. The cope, to be seen in the North transept, was made for the 900th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone, and the embroidered designs on this were copied from the mutilated brass of John Byrkhede in the chancel.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}}
The brass to [[john Lyon (school founder)|John Lyon]], founder of Harrow School, and his wife, Joan, is on the wall of the nave, near his grave by the lectern. It has an interesting inscription in English.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} The gravestone on the floor, with a Latin inscription, was laid in 1875.
[[Lord Byron]] was a frequent visitor as a schoolboy from [[Harrow school]], from 1801 to 1805, and he sat dreaming by "his favourite tombstone" (the "Peachey Tomb<ref>{{NHLE|num=1079744|desc=THE PEACHEY TOMB SOUTH OF WEST ENTRANCE TO CHURCHYARD OF THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, Harrow |accessdate=2018-05-22}}</ref>"), as recorded in "Lines Written beneath an Elm in the Churchyard of Harrow",<ref>{{cite web| author=Byron |authorlink=Lord Byron | url=https://www.readbookonline.org/readOnLine/3447/ | title=Lines Written beneath an Elm in the Churchyard of Harrow | website=www.readbookonline.org }}</ref> which is reproduced on a memorial in front of the Peachey Tomb, erected by the son of one of Byron's school friends in 1905.  The Elm burnt down sometime prior to 1935. Byron's daughter [[Allegra Byron]] (by Clair Clairmont) is buried in an unmarked grave outside, very near to the south porch.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://darkestlondon.com/tag/harrow-on-the-hill/ | title=The Short Tragic Life of Allegra Byron | date=19 October 2012 | publisher=darkestlondon.com | work=Darkest London | accessdate=20 March 2016 }}</ref>
The old door into the north porch used to be on the south side and was moved to its present position by Gilbert Scott for better protection. The font, of [[Purbeck marble]], and the chest in the north transept, like this door have been in use since 1200 – or even earlier. The pulpit is a good example of late 17th century woodcarving.
There are ten bells in the tower, the two smallest commemorating [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]]'s Silver Jubilee.
==Location==
The church is at the top of [[Harrow on the Hill|Harrow Hill]] and views towards [[London|Central London]] and most other directions can be seen from the churchyard. It is the highest building in [[Middlesex]].<ref name="achurchnearyou" /> Notable buildings that can be seen are the buildings of [[Canary Wharf]], and the [[BT Tower]] in [[Warren Street]], some fourteen and nine miles respectively away from Harrow, and [[Wembley Stadium]].
The church is often the icon of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and can be seen from miles. Since [[WWI]], it has been used as a navigational reference for aircraft approaching [[RAF Northolt]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}}
==Notable memorials==
The church has [[memorial]]s to:
*[[George Butler (headmaster)|George Butler]], head master, 1805–1829
*[[John William Cunningham]] (1811–1861), vicar
*[[Byron Drury]] (1815-1888), admiral
*[[Joseph Drury]], Head Master, 1785–1805
*[[James Edwards (bookseller)|James Edwards]], bookseller
*[[William Gerard (died 1609)|William Gerard]], politician
*[[John Lyon (school founder)|John Lyon]], founder of [[Harrow School]], and benefactor of [[the John Lyon School]] and the John Lyon's Charity
*[[Geoffrey Harold Woolley]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (1944–1952), vicar
In the north [[aisle]] are:
*[[John Henry North]], politician
*[[William Osgoode]] (1754-1824), first Chief Justice of Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada)
==Filming Location==
The church features in some early scenes of the 2008 British science fantasy film ''[[Franklyn]]''.
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
*[https://www.stmarysharrow.org.uk/ The Parish and Borough Church of St Mary] Harrow on the Hill, Diocese of London
*[http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery.php?cemetery=2449 St Mary's Church burial ground, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, England], Gravestone Photographic Resource
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo9sPzA3_C0 Church of St Mary, Harrow on the Hill], [[YouTube]] (30 July 2012)
{{LB Harrow}}
{{Churches in Harrow}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's, Harrow On The Hill}}
[[Category:1094 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Harrow|Harrow on the Hill, St Mary's]]
[[Category:Grade I listed churches in London]]
[[Category:History of the London Borough of Harrow]]
[[Category:Diocese of London]]
[[Category:Harrow on the Hill]]