St Margaret's Church, Westminster

St Margaret’s Church stands beside Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, forming part of the single World Heritage Site that also includes the Palace of Westminster. Founded by Benedictine monks in the twelfth century, it was rebuilt between 1486 and 1523 at the instigation of Henry VII and largely survives today. The church became the parish church of the Palace of Westminster in 1614 when Puritans chose it for Parliamentary services, a practice that continues. Its north-west tower was rebuilt in the 1730s to designs by John James and encased in Portland stone. In 1878 Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the interior while retaining many Tudor features. The church holds notable commemorative windows, including the east window of 1509 originally made for Catherine of Aragon’s betrothal to Henry VIII. This window passed through many hands before being bought for the church in 1758 with a £4,000 parliamentary grant. Other windows remember William Caxton, Sir Walter Raleigh, John Milton and Admiral Robert Blake. The south aisle windows were destroyed in the Second World War and replaced in 1966 with abstract designs by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens. The church has also hosted society weddings, including those of Winston Churchill and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Visitors find a church with a rich interior of Tudor and Victorian elements, including the Piper windows that filter daylight in silvery greys and pale colours. The east window’s Flemish glass still tells the story of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. The building retains its medieval plan with chapels and a rood cross, while the tower and porches show later classical influences. The surroundings include Parliament Square and the Abbey, linking the site to centuries of national history. Inside, the names of Caxton, Pepys and Milton appear on the windows, marking the church’s place in English culture.