The Building
The building of St Marks Church began in 1825 by JP Gandy-Deering
in the Greek Revival style, and was completed in 1828. Its 34 foot wide
facade is known as one of the finest in London. The church was consecrated
in April of 1828 and remains so today, although it was made
redundant in 1974.
The land was originally used for pasturing cattle, carpet beating and as
a parade ground for St George’s volunteers. This area of Mayfair was one
of the last to be developed and is strategic in that its north and western
edges form the boundary of Park Lane and Oxford Street. Mayfair got its
name from the famous rowdy Mayfair that used to be held here.
Roman Background
In Roman times Oxford Street (formerly Tyburn Road) was the main western road out of the city of Londinium, passing through Newgate, the name of the gate in the Roman wall. This road divided at what is now Marble Arch. The westerly road continued towards Uxbridge and Stains, along what is now Bayswater Road. The main northerly Roman Road “Watling Street” branched off heading towards Verulamium (St. Albans) a major Roman City and then off into the Midlands. Oxford Street became and has remained the main commercial street west of the city.
St. Marks & Mayfair
Mayfair grew as a result of the aristocracy and the wealthy from the city requiring “country” residences. St Marks was
built as a daughter church to St George’s, Hanover Sq. to cope with the parishes demand for more church sittings.
Designed by J.P. Gandy, the commissioners liked the idea of “the provision of separate access for rich and poor, which enabled the long narthex (entrance) on North Audley Street to be used as a social concourse by the fashionable belles who embellish it at the conclusion of their devotions. “ The distance of the body of the chapel from the street would prevent any interruption to the service from the noise of carriages.
St Mark’s ceased to be a parish church in 1974 as numbers dwindled in the area. The building was used for a few years as the American Church in London. It then closed in 1974 and was redundant until 1994 when Commonwealth Church, (established in 1988) re-opened the building as a centre of worship for the entire community, a Bible teaching centre, providing care for children and youth work. It is open regularly for prayer and as a base for world mission, carrying on the traditions established by St Marks in its heyday.