Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

St Mary le Strand

St Mary le Strand

Highlight • Historical Site

St Mary le Strand

Recommended by 55 hikers out of 57

Save

Location: London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Save

See hikes here

Take Me There

Routes here

Best Hikes to St Mary le Strand

4.9

(35)

281

hikers

1. Tower of London – Millennium Bridge loop from London Liverpool Street

18.5km

04:50

130m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Moderate

4.8

(18)

304

hikers

2. St. Paul's Cathedral – Buckingham Palace loop from London Victoria

17.6km

04:36

130m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Moderate

5.0

(12)

151

hikers

3. Tower of London – Buckingham Palace loop from Whitechapel

25.8km

06:42

150m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Hard

Tips

Bumble-Bee

April 3, 2022

The church is the second to have been called St Mary le Strand, the first having been situated a short distance to the south. The date of its foundation is unclear but it was mentioned in a judgment of 1222, when it was called the Church of the Innocents, or St Mary and the Innocents.[1] It was pulled down in 1549 by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, to make way for Somerset House. The parishioners were promised a new church, which was never built, forcing them to move to the nearby church of St Clement Danes and afterwards to the Savoy Chapel.[2] The site now occupied by the modern church was formerly occupied by a great maypole which had been the scene of May Day festivities in the 16th and 17th century but was severely decayed by the early 18th century.[3]

The new St Mary le Strand was the first of the twelve[4] new churches built in London under the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches, at a cost of some £16,000. Construction began in February 1714 under the architect James Gibbs, being his first major project following his return from Italy. The steeple was completed in September 1717, but the church was not consecrated for use until 1 January 1724, by Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London,[5] when the Rev. John Heylyn became first rector of the rebuilt church. Bonnie Prince Charlie is alleged to have renounced his Roman Catholic faith in the church to become an Anglican during a secret visit to London in 1750.[6] John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow, the parents of Charles Dickens, were married here in 1809.[7]
A 19th-century print showing St Mary le Strand and the Strand front of Somerset House.

The church narrowly escaped destruction twice during the 20th century. At the start of the 20th century the London County Council proposed to demolish the church to widen the Strand; a campaign involving the artist Walter Crane succeeded in averting this, although the graveyard was obliterated and the graves moved to Brookwood Cemetery. The London Blitz of the Second World War caused much damage to the surrounding area but again the church avoided destruction, though it did suffer damage from a nearby bomb explosion.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_le_Strand)

T1pkp

January 15, 2024

This was the first of the twelve new churches built in London under the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches. Construction began in February 1714 under the architect James Gibbs. It was completed in 1717, but was not consecrated for use 1724.

Paul

December 29, 2024

Looks like it is pedestrianised now. Good news.

Migdał

April 21, 2025

The elegant St Mary le Strand Church stands proudly at the eastern end of the Strand as one of London's two "Island Churches," completed in 1724 as the first of twelve new churches built under the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches. Designed by architect James Gibbs after his return from Italy, this Baroque masterpiece features extravagant ornamentation on its exterior and a richly decorated interior with a plastered ceiling in white and gold inspired by Italian churches in Rome.

Despite narrowly escaping demolition twice - once from London County Council's plans to widen the Strand and later during the London Blitz - this historic church remains a treasured landmark with notable connections, including being the marriage site of Charles Dickens' parents in 1809 and serving as the official church of the Women's Royal Naval Service.

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 20 m

Weather

Today

Monday 17 November

8°C

1°C

0 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Palace of Westminster and Big Ben

St. Paul's Cathedral

Covent Garden Market

Royal Courts of Justice

Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace

View of the London Eye from Westminster Bridge

Golden Jubilee Bridges

Tower Bridge

View of the London Eye from Cycle Superhighway CS3

Coal Drops Yard

The Mall, London

View of the City of London Skyline and River Thames

St Mary le Strand

1. Tower of London – Millennium Bridge loop from London Liverpool Street

2. St. Paul's Cathedral – Buckingham Palace loop from London Victoria

3. Tower of London – Buckingham Palace loop from Whitechapel

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️