Church of St Mary

St Mary’s Church stands on Neasden Lane in Neasden, part of the London Borough of Brent. The site has held a place of worship since 938, and the present building dates from the 13th century. Restorations in 1850, 1872 and 1893 kept the structure standing. A 12th-century Norman font survives inside, one of only six in Middlesex. Two mid-13th-century columns remain in place, and the 14th-century chancel still shows its original stonework. The southwest tower was built at the same time as the chancel. The church once housed a nationally known shrine to Our Lady of Willesden, famous for miracles between 1475 and 1538. Monks from Old St Paul’s Cathedral recorded its growth in the 13th century, noting side aisles and a tower added by 1200. After the Reformation the shrine was destroyed, but in 1972 a new statue was installed in the original position. A holy well linked to the devotion was rediscovered in 1998 and brought back into use. Visitors find a 12th-century font, medieval columns and a 14th-century chancel still intact. The tower, once whitewashed, now opens from inside after 19th-century restorations. A 1972 statue marks the revived shrine, and the rediscovered holy well lies nearby. The churchyard and surrounding lanes keep the quiet feel of an old village.