History

St.Mary's was consecrated on 22nd October 1850. The Boltons was originally a farm with the land used as market gardens. Robert Gunter donated the site for the church. George Godwin, who also built the houses in the Boltons and the neighbouring churches of St.Jude's, Courtfield Gardens, and St.Luke's, Redcliffe Square, built the church. The initial cost of building St.Mary's was £6,000, largely met by the then Perpetual Curate, Rev. Hogarth J. Swale. The church is built in stone, Kentish rag capped with Bath stone externally and Hassock internally. At one time all the windows had stained glass and the walls were stencilled with designs of fruit and flowers.

Since 1850 there have been many changes. The spire of the church was added in 1854. In 1902 the oak pews and floor tiling were installed. Bombs during the war damaged the organ and roof as well as shattering many of the windows. The church was reordered after the war with the high altar being moved to below the crossing and the old sanctuary being converted into a Lady Chapel. Here the sacrament is reserved. The present east window was designed by Margaret Kaye and installed in 1955. In 1960 the original organ was removed from the east end of the church and is now in St.Nicholas, Yarmouth (Norfolk). A new gallery was built for the two manual Compton organ at the west end. The west end window was put in to diffuse the light in order to keep the organ in tune. Unfortunately, this did not work and a screen now obscures the window from inside.

In 1972 St.Peter's, Cranley Gardens, was closed and is now used by the Armenian Orthodox Church. The benefices were amalgamated and the plate and vestments used at St. Mary's. As a result of the generosity of a church member the fine brass eagle lectern from St.Peter's has been restored and is now used at St.Mary's.

In 2001 a beautiful bronze sculpture, the Pieta by Naomi Blake, FRBS, was placed in St. Luke’s Chapel to mark the 150^th anniversary of the opening of St. Mary’s.

In July 2006 the parish of St. Jude’s, Courtfield Gardens, was merged into St. Mary’s Parish so that the parish doubled in size.

An illustrated history of St. Mary The Boltons has been written by Arthur Tait and is available from the church (£7.50). All proceeds from the publication go towards funding music for children in Sunday School:

ST MARY THE BOLTONS was built in 1850 as a speculative gamble on behalf of a wealthy landowner. He wanted a church to lend an air of respectability to attract house purchasers as he sought to change the use of his land from market gardening to housing.

This study shows that St Mary's was the first of many churches built in the countryside between the villages of Kensington and Chelsea as London's population expanded westwards. It describes the cut-throat but optimistic competition between churches which was such a feature of this part of Victorian London. It outlines the huge building developments which transformed the area around 'Little Chelsea' in little more than a decade.

For more than 150 years St Mary's fortunes have waxed and waned between prosperity and abject poverty. Twice proposed by the wider church for closure and merger with larger churches nearby, twice it refused to accept that fate and survived.

St Mary's was once truly Kensington's 'church in the country'. Today the trees and gardens surrounding it can still give that impression. However, with its liberal tolerance, family orientation and welcome-to-all approach, it now stands as a symbol of openness in an urban oasis notable for immense wealth and fortress-like security. It is also inevitably caught up in the huge uncertainties and difficulties confronting the Anglican church today in this part of London and more widely. Which way will St Mary's fortunes move now? This lively study, fresh with interesting detail of the church, parish and surrounding area, discusses how and why St Mary's story has unfolded within its local and wider context. It offers clues and lessons for its people and the wider church as they seek answers to that question.