St Mary the Virgin, Northolt

St Mary the Virgin is a small 13th-century Anglican church perched on a slope in Northolt, a London suburb. It stands beside Belvue Park, where a 15th-century manor once overlooked the old village. The nave is only 14 metres long and 7.3 metres wide, making it one of London’s smallest churches. Built around 1290, it grew over the centuries with a chancel added in 1521 and a bell tower in the 16th century. Twin buttresses were added in 1718 to stop the church sliding down the hill. Inside, the original beams remain, and the bells date from the 17th century. The church has played a key role in London’s church history. From the 13th century until 1873, its rector was always the Bishop of London, who appointed a vicar to run the parish. In the late 20th century, it became the first Anglican parish to appoint a female rector, Rev. Pamela Walker. It shares its parish with St Richard’s, a larger modern church, and the same rector leads services at both. Morning worship is held at St Mary’s, followed by an evening service at St Richard’s. Inside, the church holds medieval and later treasures. The octagonal 14th-century font has a wooden cover dated 1624, and four 17th-century bells hang in the tower. An 18th-century painting of the Adoration of the Magi hangs in the chancel, and a 17th-century wooden carving of the Stuart arms decorates the nave. Brasses mark the 15th-century Henry Rowdell and the 16th-century vicar Isaiah Bures. The churchyard still holds graves of local families, linking past and present.