Church of St Mary, Stanwell

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Stanwell, is a Church of England parish church in the village of Stanwell, Surrey. It dates to the 12th-century and is a grade I listed building. It has Norman and Gothic architectural elements including a 14th-century spire.

Church of St Mary, Stanwell
Church of St Mary, Stanwell
51°27′23″N 0°28′48″W
Location	Lord Knyvett Close, Stanwell, Middlesex, TW19 9PF
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
History
Status	Active
Dedication	St Mary the Virgin
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Designated	11 August 1952
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of London
Episcopal area	Kensington Episcopal Area
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Middlesex
Deanery	Spelthorne
Parish	Stanwell
Clergy
Bishop(s)	The Rt Revd Jonathan Baker (AEO)
Vicar(s)	Fr Stuart King

Parish

Stanwell parish is the west of the historic county of Middlesex. The parish was 3,934 acres (a little over 6 square miles) in 1930. Around the parish are the town of Staines, the river Colne, and Hounslow Heath.^[1] A church was endowed at Stanwell in 1204; a vicarage existed by 1254. In 1415 the advowson (patronage) of the parish was acquired by Chertsey Abbey, but returned to the Crown in 1537 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII.^[1]

History

Stanwell's 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin has Norman and Gothic architectural elements including a 14th-century spire.^[2]

The church contains a fine monument to Lord and Lady Knyvett. A memorial to Sir Charles Brisbane, a Royal Navy officer who served during the American War of Independence and with distinction under Lords Hood and Nelson, also lies in the chancel.

On 11 August 1952, the church was designated a grade I listed building.^[3]

Present day

The Parish of Stanwell in part of the Archdeaconry of Middlesex in the Diocese of London.^[4]

The church stands in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England.^[4] As they reject the ordination of women, the parish is under the alternative episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Fulham (currently Jonathan Baker).^[5]

Gallery

• 
  From the west, the spire is visibly not vertical
• 
  The church from the east side
• 
  The lych gate
• 
  Yew trees in the churchyard
• 
  Florentine tapestry work around a St George's Cross kneeler
• 
  Tomb of Lord Knyvett

Bibliography

• Reynolds, Susan, ed. (1962). "Stanwell Church". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington. pp. 46–49.