As St Mary, Somers Town marks its 200th anniversary, a major restoration project is helping secure the future of one of central London’s most significant churches. Clergy and parish leaders say the work is about more than conservation. It is about protecting a place of faith, refuge and belonging at the heart of the community.
Outside St Mary’s, Somers Town, scaffolding rises above the nave, stonework is being repaired and dust gathers beneath restoration works that will help secure the church’s future.
As St Mary’s marks its bicentenary, people leading the church say the restoration project is about far more than preserving a historic building. It is about protecting a place of prayer, welcome and belonging in the heart of Somers Town.
The church has secured major funding support from Historic England, the Diocese of London, the Benefact Trust and the National Churches Trust, helping drive a restoration project that has raised more than £860,000 over the past year alone. Alongside major grants, the church has also received donations from the Friends of St Mary’s, charitable trusts, local supporters and members of the wider community.
The funding is allowing urgent conservation works to move forward, but conversations with clergy and PCC members return repeatedly to the same point: the building matters because of the life inside it.
“We’ve had a miraculous year,” PCC member Slaney Devlin says.
She believes funders recognised not only the building’s heritage significance but also its social and spiritual importance.
“It was the combination of a historic building and an extraordinary social history,” she says. “People can see this place matters.”
Historic England support arrived at a crucial moment and helped make the works possible, while a major grant from the Benefact Trust helped close a significant funding gap after years of prayer and perseverance from the congregation.
“When funders invest in St Mary’s, they’re investing in people,” says PCC member Tyler Inberg. “They’re investing in hope.”
But even amid the disruption, the doors remain open.
Rooted in the community
“People come in and cry, people come in and shout at God,” says Fr Paschal Worton, who has served as vicar for nearly 14 years. “People come in and look for one of us to talk to.”
“We are amongst people here, not apart from the world,” Fr Paschal says. “It’s about being embedded in the local community.”
That connection runs deep in Somers Town, an area shaped by generations of change and redevelopment. St Mary’s became internationally known in the early 20th century through priests such as Fr Basil Jellicoe and Fr Percy Meryon-Wilson, whose campaigning work helped improve housing conditions and tackle poverty in the neighbourhood.
That legacy still shapes the church’s identity today.
“It’s a place of acceptance,” Fr Paschal says. “There’s a lot of vulnerability around here. A lot of loneliness, a lot of mental health struggles. We keep the doors open because people need somewhere they can simply come and be.”
The church is open daily and used by far more people than the Sunday congregation alone. Alongside regular worship, it hosts therapy groups, choirs and local organisations. School groups visit throughout the year, while residents regularly come in to pray, sit quietly or light candles.
Churchwarden Cynthia Ramsay describes the church as “a space of safety, peace and quiet”.
A place for everyone
The openness of the church extends beyond denomination and faith background.
“There’s a Muslim young man who comes in every day just to dip his finger in the holy water,” Cynthia says. “There’s a Muslim lady who comes in and prays almost every day. People know this is a safe space.”
Two years ago, the future of St Mary’s briefly appeared uncertain when demolition and closure were discussed as possibilities. PCC members still speak emotionally about the community response.
“The amount of people and organisations that came out and said, ‘We need this church here,’ was extraordinary,” says Tyler. “This is a cornerstone of the community.”
For many local families, the church represents one of the last remaining connections to the historic identity of Somers Town.
“So much around here has disappeared,” Cynthia says. “If this were to go, there’d be nothing left.”
Fr Paschal says St Mary’s continues to hold memories that stretch across generations of local families.
“People are proud of this church,” he says. “They’re proud that their families were christened here or married here or buried from here.”
Restoring more than a building
That sense of continuity feels especially significant as the church reflects on its bicentenary while simultaneously planning for its future.
“We’re at a pivotal point,” says Slaney. “We’re looking back over this extraordinary social history, but we’re also actively looking towards a transformative future.”
Alongside current conservation works, St Mary’s hopes eventually to replace the roof, improve accessibility, install underfloor heating and continue environmental sustainability work.
PCC members admit the scale of the project has stretched the parish far beyond its expertise.
“We’re not builders,” Cynthia says with a laugh. “But we’ve all pulled together.”
Again and again, the conversation returns to prayer, perseverance and community support.
“When the chips are down, the community is there,” Cynthia says. “Demolition is not an option.”
From left to right: Tyler Inberg, Fr Paschal Worton, Slaney Devlin and Cynthia Ramsay.
Looking to the next 200 years
As work continues around them, those leading St Mary’s are already thinking about what the church will leave behind for future generations.
“I hope they’ll continue the work that we have started,” Cynthia says. “Hopefully they will improve and keep it going for another 200 years.”
For Fr Paschal, the church’s purpose remains unchanged.
“It must always remain a symbol of Jesus Christ present in Somers Town,” he says.
People can follow the restoration project or support the church’s work through Friends of St Mary’s, Somers Town or by contacting the parish directly by emailing inbergt@parishofsomersotwn.org.uk.
