Description
Marylebone Parish Church was built here in 1813-17, the fourth church to serve the parish. St Marylebone Parish Church Grounds are on the former churchyard and consist of a cobbled circular driveway from Marylebone High Street up to the side entrance of the church. A low hedge encloses a central grass area with a mature plane tree in the centre, dominating the square. There is also level access into the site from Marylebone Road. A market, 'Cabbages and Frocks', occupies most of the cobbled driveway at the weekends. To the west of the church is a new Physic Herb and Wild Flower Garden created by children in the Young Church group, which opened in June 2010.
Practical Information
| Site location | Marylebone Road/Marylebone High Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW1 5LT |
| What3Words | ///mops.groups.plots |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Baker Street (Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan, Jubilee), Bond Street (Central, Jubilee). Bus: 18, 27, 30, 205, 453; 2,13,30,74,82,113,139,189,247 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The first church of the parish of Tyburn was built c.1200, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and stood near the present Marble Arch. When this was demolished in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, its site now that of the Garden of Rest Marylebone (q.v.) towards the north end of Marylebone High Street. It was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin by the Bourne, referring to the Ty bourne or stream that ran into the Thames from what is now Regent's Park. The dedication gradually became St Mary le burn, then St Marylebone. The Elizabethan philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was married there in 1606, and the interior of the church was accurately portrayed by the artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) in the marriage scene from 'The Rake's Progress' (1735). The church was rebuilt in 1741/2, designed by John Lane, on the same site and survived as a chapel until 1949. Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was then living and working in Marylebone and during his last illness he sent for the Rector of St Marylebone, Revd John Harley (of the family after whom Harley Street is named), and asked to be buried in the churchyard. He died on 29 March 1788 and his body was carried to St Marylebone Church by eight clergymen of the Church of England. A memorial stone to him stands in the memorial garden in the High Street, close to where he was buried.
Other famous people with connections to St Marylebone include Lord Byron (1788-1824), who was baptised here in 1788 and Admiral Lord Nelson (1758-1805) who worshipped here and whose daughter Horatia was baptised here. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) and his family lived nearby in Devonshire Terrace and his son was baptised in the church, the ceremony described in 'Dombey and Son'.
By the late C18th century the surrounding farmland, largely owned by the Duke of Portland, had been extensively developed as a wealthy residential area. The larger population of the parish required a new larger church, and this was under discussion from 1770. A site was given in Paddington Street and plans were prepared by Sir William Chambers (1723-96), but the scheme was abandoned and the land purchased for a burial ground. In 1810-11 the present site was given by the Duke of Portland. It was originally intended that this building would be a Chapel of Ease. The new church was built at a cost of £80,000 and designed by Thomas Hardwicke, who was a pupil of Sir W Chambers. The foundation stone was laid on 5 July 1813. However, in 1814 the vestry decided to enlarge the building as a parish church and Hardwicke adapted his designs to create a grander building; as a result the tower was erected, the front widened, and the present Corinthian columns built. The church was consecrated in 1817. A vaulted crypt extended under the whole area of the church, with extensive catacombs under the west side, which served as the parish burial ground until 1853 when the entrance was bricked up and its use discontinued. In 1980 over 850 coffins from the crypt were reinterred at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, the crypt becoming a Healing and Counselling Centre.
In 1882, the Church Council decided on an extensive redevelopment of the church, in order, as the new Rector put it, "to bring it more into harmony with the arrangements and decorations suited to the religious demands of the present day". Work began in 1884 and a memorial stone was laid by Mrs Gladstone, wife of the Prime Minister. The new plans were drawn up by Thomas Harris, architect and churchwarden of the parish, and this is the church much as we see it today.
The church suffered bomb damage in World War II when all the windows were blown out after a bomb landed on the churchyard. The church re-opened following repair and redecoration in 1949. When the windows were re-glazed, fragments of the original coloured glass were incorporated in the new windows. About that time a section of the back of the church was used to create the Browning Chapel to commemorate the marriage in the church of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett in 1846.
St Marylebone Parish Church Grounds are on the former churchyard and consist of a cobbled circular sweeping driveway from Marylebone High Street up to the side entrance of the church, which is the focus of the space. A low hedge encloses a central grass area with a mature plane tree in the centre, dominating the square. There is also level access into the site from Marylebone Road. A market, 'Cabbages and Frocks', occupies most of the cobbled driveway at the weekends. In Spring 2009 as part of the Young Church gardening project children planted seeds in pots and with careful tending grew vegetables for the Young Church's contribution to Harvest Festival. This success led to a new Young Church project, the Physic Herb and Wild Flower Garden on the west side of the church, which opened in June 2010. This is focused on herbal/medicinal plants with their healing properties and has a path of mosaic stepping stones created by the children.
Other famous people with connections to St Marylebone include Lord Byron (1788-1824), who was baptised here in 1788 and Admiral Lord Nelson (1758-1805) who worshipped here and whose daughter Horatia was baptised here. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) and his family lived nearby in Devonshire Terrace and his son was baptised in the church, the ceremony described in 'Dombey and Son'.
By the late C18th century the surrounding farmland, largely owned by the Duke of Portland, had been extensively developed as a wealthy residential area. The larger population of the parish required a new larger church, and this was under discussion from 1770. A site was given in Paddington Street and plans were prepared by Sir William Chambers (1723-96), but the scheme was abandoned and the land purchased for a burial ground. In 1810-11 the present site was given by the Duke of Portland. It was originally intended that this building would be a Chapel of Ease. The new church was built at a cost of £80,000 and designed by Thomas Hardwicke, who was a pupil of Sir W Chambers. The foundation stone was laid on 5 July 1813. However, in 1814 the vestry decided to enlarge the building as a parish church and Hardwicke adapted his designs to create a grander building; as a result the tower was erected, the front widened, and the present Corinthian columns built. The church was consecrated in 1817. A vaulted crypt extended under the whole area of the church, with extensive catacombs under the west side, which served as the parish burial ground until 1853 when the entrance was bricked up and its use discontinued. In 1980 over 850 coffins from the crypt were reinterred at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, the crypt becoming a Healing and Counselling Centre.
In 1882, the Church Council decided on an extensive redevelopment of the church, in order, as the new Rector put it, "to bring it more into harmony with the arrangements and decorations suited to the religious demands of the present day". Work began in 1884 and a memorial stone was laid by Mrs Gladstone, wife of the Prime Minister. The new plans were drawn up by Thomas Harris, architect and churchwarden of the parish, and this is the church much as we see it today.
The church suffered bomb damage in World War II when all the windows were blown out after a bomb landed on the churchyard. The church re-opened following repair and redecoration in 1949. When the windows were re-glazed, fragments of the original coloured glass were incorporated in the new windows. About that time a section of the back of the church was used to create the Browning Chapel to commemorate the marriage in the church of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett in 1846.
St Marylebone Parish Church Grounds are on the former churchyard and consist of a cobbled circular sweeping driveway from Marylebone High Street up to the side entrance of the church, which is the focus of the space. A low hedge encloses a central grass area with a mature plane tree in the centre, dominating the square. There is also level access into the site from Marylebone Road. A market, 'Cabbages and Frocks', occupies most of the cobbled driveway at the weekends. In Spring 2009 as part of the Young Church gardening project children planted seeds in pots and with careful tending grew vegetables for the Young Church's contribution to Harvest Festival. This success led to a new Young Church project, the Physic Herb and Wild Flower Garden on the west side of the church, which opened in June 2010. This is focused on herbal/medicinal plants with their healing properties and has a path of mosaic stepping stones created by the children.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ283820 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | WCC |
| Site Management | Parks Service. |
| Dates | 1817 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Marylebone Church |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Regent's Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | To be checked |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Garden of Rest Marylebone is a small memorial garden adjacent to Marylebone Parish Church, the 4th church to serve the parish. The first was near Marble Arch but in 1400 a new church was built nearer the village of Marylebone, replaced in 1740 by another small church, itself replaced when the current church was built to the north in 1813-17. The old church was closed in 1926, but not demolished until 1949, following WWII bomb damage. Its site is now that of the Garden of Rest, created in 1951, with the foundations of the church marked. The garden is predominantly paved with some planting and it contains a number of gravestones and memorials, including one to Charles Wesley erected in 1858 who had been buried here in 1788.
This is a private garden for the use of residents of York Terrace West, designed as part of John Nash's original conception for The Regent's Park, approved by the Treasury in 1811. His plan for developing the former royal hunting chase included the 400-acre park, which was to be surrounded by villas and terraces, the latter given names that reflected royal patronage. York Terrace, built 1822-3 and named for Frederick Duke of York, was designed as two groups, split by York Gate. The houses had their main entrances on the south and presented an uninterrupted façade to Regent's Park, fronted by a garden enclosure laid out with lawn, a series of planted beds along the north, perimeter path, and planting along the front and side boundaries, punctuated by entrances in the centre and at each end.
Paddington Street Gardens are on land formerly used for burials and is split into two parts by Paddington Street. The larger South Garden represents the older burial ground consecrated in 1733. The land was granted by the Earl of Oxford, one of whose conditions that a workhouse be provided, which was erected in 1750-52. By 1771 further burial space was needed and the parish bought land north of Paddington Street, now the North Garden. A larger workhouse was built to the north in 1775, on the present site of the University of Westminster. The burial ground was closed in 1814 when St John's Wood Burial Ground opened; it was laid out as a public recreation ground in 1885 and was opened in 1886 by Princess Louise. Most gravestones were removed although a fine C18th mausoleum in the south garden commemorates the wife of Richard Fitzpatrick.
