St. Mary of Eton is an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church at Hackney Wick, London, and a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. It was built 1890–92 in the medieval Gothic style to serve the Eton Mission, a mission to the East End organised and funded by

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

History

In the late 19th century, Eton College launched a scheme to provide social and religious support to people living in the crowded district of Hackney Wick in east London, and to familiarise privileged schoolboys with social conditions in deprived areas. The project of establishing an "Eton Mission" was started in 1880. St Mary of Eton Church was built 1890-02 as the centrepiece of the mission. Following wartime bomb damage, the Church of St Augustine in nearby Victoria Park was closed in 1953 and its congregation merged with St Mary’s to form St Mary of Eton with St Augustine. St Mary of Eton is notable as the founding location of the Church of England youth club the 59 Club.The 59 Club: Rockers to host reunion at Hackney Wick church where world famous biker club was born
24 April 2018

Architecture

St Mary of Eton was built 1890-02 by the Victorian architects George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. It is built in red brick with stone dressings. The east side of the church faces onto the main street, and a gateway leads into the courtyard which is surrounded by the old Eton Mission buildings. Eton House was built in 1898 to house the clergy, and in 1911-12, two bays were added in by Cecil Greenwood Hare on the west side of the church. The tower was added in 1912. The interior is noted for its tall, spacious

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, bisected by a painted

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

by Bodley. At the east end, the high

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

is backed by an ornately decorated reredos designed in 1930 by W Ellery Anderson. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a bomb struck the Eton Mission in 1944, and it was badly damaged. Interior alterations were carried out in 1958 and a new organ by Grant, Degens and Rippin was installed in 1960. In 2013/14, the church carried out a major refurbishment project. The church was re-ordered and restored. Some of the old Eton Mission buildings around the courtyard were redeveloped as residential flats and some buildings were demolished. New apartment blocked constructed next to the church were built with diaper-patterned brickwork to harmonise with Bodley's original church. The development was awarded a RIBA National Award in 2015 for its sensitive design.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary of Eton 19th-century Church of England church buildings Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Hackney Churches completed in 1892 Diocese of London Hackney, London Hackney Wick Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Hackney Eton College George Frederick Bodley church buildings

History

Architecture

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