AN ICONIC central London church has been awarded £4.6 million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it was announced on Monday.
St Mary-le-Strand is one among 4 churches to receive a share of £7.4 million in grant funding. The others are St Mary Magdalene’s, Stockland Bristol, in Somerset; St John the Baptist, Nash, in Ludlow; and St Monans Auld Kirk, Fife, in Scotland.
The Priest-in-Charge of St Mary-le-Strand, Canon Peter Babington, said: “We are hugely grateful to the players of the National Lottery. This generous grant will help transform St Mary-le-Strand for generations to return and to turn out to be once more the Jewel within the Strand.”
Recognised as the primary English Baroque church, it’s currently the positioning of an outside art installation by Louise Giovanelli while renovation works happen (News, 28 November).
David ParryCanon Peter Babington lights a lantern at St Mary le Strand, London
Designed by James Gibbs and accomplished in 1721, the church sits in what was formerly a semi-circular traffic island on the Strand, until a part of the realm was pedestrianised in 2022 (News, 28 October 2022).
The chief executive of the London Heritage Quarter, Ruth Duston, said that the church was a “much-loved landmark” in the realm. “We are delighted to see this glorious funding awarded. This investment is not going to only help secure the church’s future but can even enrich the cultural lifetime of the realm for everybody who lives, works and visits here,” she said.
The Grade II listed St Mary Magdalene’s, Stockland Bristol, is currently on Historic England’s Risk register. It is to receive greater than £2 million for repairs to its tower and roof, in addition to for the event of its outreach work.
St John the Baptist, Nash, can be designated as in danger, and has been awarded greater than £500,000 for repairs to its spire, tower, and roof.
David ParryA carol service this week at St Mary le Strand, London
A community organisation in Fife accomplished the acquisition of St Monans Auld Kirk from the Church of Scotland this month. The St Monans Auld Kirk Enterprise (SMAKE) has been awarded initial funding of £115,841, with the opportunity of greater than £1.7 million in further funding. SMAKE’s website lays out plans to show the constructing right into a community hub. The east end of the church is to be maintained as a “sacred space for contemplation and reflection”.
The chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Eilish McGuinness, said: “Places of worship are among the many UK’s most treasured historic landmarks, serving as gateways to our shared heritage and vibrant community life. Thanks to National Lottery players, these grants will allow each place of worship to take ambitious steps to reimagine how these spaces can encourage and profit the people around them.”
