Have you ever noticed how certain buildings seem to hold a quiet strength? That’s St Mary’s Church, Welling. It stands as a testament to faith and art. This parish church in the London Borough of Bexley is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
St Mary’s Church is more than just a place of worship. It’s a gallery of 20th-century art. Its story began in 1934. Population growth demanded a mission hall in the parish of St Michael, East Wickham. World War II delayed plans for a permanent church. Finally, in 1954, Thomas Ford designed St Mary’s. He was the Southwark Diocesan architect. The church opened in 1955. The parish was formally established then.
Ford was influenced by Sir John Soane. Many of Ford’s churches show Soanian Classicism. St Mary’s is a prime example of Ford’s complex designs. The exterior is Italian Romanesque. It features brickwork and a campanile. The campanile is partially disengaged in the liturgical north-west. The interior embraces a Soanian Greek revival style.
Look closely at the liturgical west door. Above it, you’ll see a tympanum. It’s decorated with sgraffito. Sgraffito is rare in Britain. It’s a form of tempera mural painting. Augustus Lunn, a leading proponent of sgraffito, created it. The sgraffito depicts the Joyful Mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Inside St Mary’s Church, the reredos catches the eye. It is on the liturgical east wall. It’s a painted mural of the Ascension. Hans Feibusch, a German émigré artist, created this mural. Ford and Feibusch often collaborated.
Notice the stained-glass windows beside the Feibusch mural. Claire Dawson designed them. They portray two archangels. St Michael is one. He is the patron saint of St Mary’s mother church. Uriel is the other. Dawson also painted murals under the arcades. These murals follow the doctrine of typology. Events from the Old Testament foreshadow those of the New Testament.
The statue of the Virgin and Child is carved from limewood. Philip Bentham sculpted it. The Stations of the Cross were added later in 1992. John Dawson created them from ceramic.
The side chapel is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. The blessed sacrament is reserved in an aumbry in this chapel.
The organ dates back to the church’s construction in 1955. Mander Organs built it. It boasts four manuals and 23 stops. The campanile houses a single bell.
St Mary’s Church, Welling isn’t listed traditionally. However, the London Borough of Bexley added it to its local list in 2011. The church also hosts community groups. The 2nd East Wickham Scout Group and 3rd East Wickham Guide Company meet here.
Consider the dedication and artistry that went into creating St Mary’s. It is more than bricks and mortar. It’s a vibrant space where art, faith, and community intertwine.