St Mark's Church

St Mark’s Church stands in St John’s Wood, a quiet corner of the City of Westminster where Hamilton Terrace meets Abercorn Place. Built between 1846 and 1847 by Thomas Cundy, the church was given a tall spire in 1864 by his son. It carries Grade II* listing from Historic England and once housed colourful mosaics by Salviati. The foundation stone was laid by Prince Leopold, youngest son of Queen Victoria, who had been tutored by the first vicar, Robinson Duckworth. During the Second World War a bomb struck the building, but the spire was rebuilt by 1955 and the church later joined the Affirming Catholicism movement. The fire of 26–27 January 2023 left the roof collapsed and the interior gutted, though the 1955 spire remained standing. Reverend Kate Harrison called the blaze heart-breaking for worshippers and neighbours alike. The London Fire Brigade investigated the cause while the parish announced plans to rebuild once the full damage was known. Historic England confirmed the structure’s Grade II* status would guide any restoration. The mosaics and fittings lost in the flames had long been admired by visitors and scholars. Inside the church today the eye is drawn to the surviving stonework and the soot-marked walls that tell the story of the fire. The standing spire still points above the terraced rooftops of Hamilton Terrace. Outside, the junction with Abercorn Place offers a view of the rebuilt tower against the London skyline. The surrounding streets of Victorian villas keep the setting calm and residential. Local people continue to gather, determined to restore the building to its former place at the heart of the community.