St Mary le Strand = Women's Royal Navy Service Church — Attraction in London

St. Mary-le-Strand is one of two island churches, along with St. Clement Danes Church, found in the middle of the bustling Strand near the Somerset building. It is a small church and can be visited quite quickly if you are intending to also see the Somerset or other attractions in the area.

Historically, the present St. Mary-le-Strand was built and consecrated in 1724. However, there is evidence which suggests that its history extends to at least 1222. This would make St. Mary-le-Strand one of the oldest parishes in London.

The church was originally situated upon the grounds of the present day Somerset House. Edward Seymour, the 1st Duke of Somerset had the church pulled down prior to the palace construction, with promise of rebuilding the church. This promise was unfortunately not kept and the church not rebuilt until the Act of Parliament was passed in 1711 for the building of 50 new churches to support the fast growing suburban areas of London.

The new St. Mary-le-Strand was then designed and built by James Gibbs in 1714-1717, who was greatly influenced by the elaborate style of the Baroque churches he studied in Rome. He had ideas for a grand circular-shaped church but that intended design was rejected, forcing him to adopt the more conventional rectilinear plan for St. Mary-le-Stand. Roman Baroque influences can be seen throughout the interior and exterior of the church.

Interestingly, the exterior is quite similar to St. Martin-in-the-Fields church at Trafalgar Square. This should come as no surprise as the reconstruction of St. Martin was James Gibbs next project following St. Mary-le-Strand.

In the end, we found the history of St. Mary-le-Strand interesting but due to its small size, we prefer seeing nearby St. Clement Danes Church. For those interested in James Gibbs architectural work, try to visit St. Mary's first then make your way to Trafalgar Square to...

On a recent stroll from Somerset House to Covent Garden, we passed by the charming St Mary le Strand church, a gem nestled amidst the bustling Strand. Although we didn’t venture inside, its striking Baroque architecture caught our eye, prompting us to delve into its rich history.

Designed by James Gibbs and completed in 1724, St Mary le Strand stands as a testament to 18th-century ecclesiastical design. Interestingly, this isn’t the first church on this site; an earlier version was demolished in 1549 to make way for Somerset House. The current structure was among the first of the “Fifty New Churches” commissioned after the Great Fire of London, aiming to restore the city’s spiritual infrastructure. 

Before the church’s construction, the site was home to a towering maypole, a central feature of local festivities. This maypole was so significant that, after its removal, it found a new purpose supporting one of Sir Isaac Newton’s telescopes. 

Today, St Mary le Strand stands as a serene sanctuary amidst the city’s hustle and bustle. Its semi-circular porch, inspired by Rome’s Santa Maria della Pace, and its richly decorated interior make it a noteworthy landmark. 

For those interested in exploring London’s historical architecture, St Mary le Strand is a must-see. It’s conveniently located near Covent Garden, making it an easy addition to...

Worst experience ever. From booking to leaving. 1st off booking with fever.com was a terrible experience. Dozens of emails back and forth led to no resolution to the issues encountered and they didn't care. At one point they said they'd be at the venue on the night but they weren't so i passed on my complaint about fever to the venue. Then the show... this was "vivaldi by candlelight". That's quite a stretch of the facts. In total i counted 13 candles plus 6 led tealights. The church was dominated by ultra bright electric lights and spotlights. I've seen more atmosphere in a bus shelter. The show started promptly at 6 but finished equally promptly at 7pm! Two tickets at nearly £80 for one hour? Really? Hardly value for money. No programme, no toilets, no refreshments, no nothing other than people sitting in a church, coats on, masks on, lights blaring on. Only 1 vivaldi piece was introduced and played though they said there would be 2, what happened to Autumn? In any event a Vilvaldi night with 1 or perhaps 2 pieces is hardly a 'Vivaldi' night..... 13 candles in a large church is hardly a 'candlelight concert' and 1 hour of music with no set dressing or even a programme of events is hardly value for money. I simply can not recommend this in any shape or form. Can i have a...