St John's Wood Church

St John’s Wood Church is an Anglican parish church in the classical style, standing on Lord’s Roundabout between Lord’s Cricket Ground and Regent’s Park in the City of Westminster. Built in 1814 by Thomas Hardwick, it became a Grade II* listed building and now serves the Deanery of Westminster St Marylebone under the Archdeacon of Charing Cross. The church once had extensive burial grounds, closed in 1855 and later opened as a public garden in 1886. Around 50,000 graves lie beneath the grounds, including those of artist John Sell Cotman and prophetess Joanna Southcott. The church has played a central role in the community for over two centuries. After bomb damage in the Second World War, it became a parish church in its own right in 1952. It has hosted notable events, including the wedding of Peggy Cripps to Joe Appiah in 1953, the blessing of Paul and Linda McCartney’s marriage in 1969, and the funeral of Ursula Vaughan Williams in 2007. A statue of John the Baptist by Hans Feibusch was erected in the 1970s, and the interior was restored in 1991 under Michael Reardon. Visitors find a place of quiet reflection open daily from early morning to late afternoon. The church maintains a tradition of thoughtful preaching, musical worship led by a professional octet and an amateur Chamber Choir, and a three-manual organ with 52 stops. The Church Hall complex hosts a local pre-preparatory school during the day and is used for community meetings and charity events. Clergy from the church also engage in interfaith scriptural reasoning discussions with nearby places of worship.