Fair Church of Saint Marie On-the-Hill

The Church of St Mary at Hill on Lovat Lane, London, is a late-17th-century rebuild of a 14th-century parish church and is listed Grade I. Christopher Wren rebuilt the interior and east end between 1670 and 1676, retaining the medieval north, south, and west walls, and the medieval west tower, to which he added a lantern. The plan is a nearly square body, carried on four internal columns that support cross barrel vaults and a low saucer dome with lantern. The walls are set with round-arched windows, the central openings formed as Venetian windows. A large bracketed clock projects at the south end over St Mary at Hill. Two rainwater heads are dated 1787. The west tower and flanking lobbies were rebuilt by George Gwilt using yellow brick and Portland stone, with recessed round-arched windows, a small entablature, and parapet. The tower rises in four stages, with a pedimented doorway and fanlight, a lunette, simple window openings, and crowning battlements. Inside, Corinthian columns and pilasters support the enriched vaults and coffered dome. The church retains late-17th-century fittings, altered and added in 1848-49, including the reredos, pulpit with tester, altar rails, communion table, font and cover, organ case on a small west gallery, and two sword rests. A major Wren rebuilding that preserves medieval fabric while introducing one of his most compact and structurally expressive parish-church interiors. - AsNotedIn