St Matthew's Church is an Anglican

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in Willesden in the

London Borough of Brent The London Borough of Brent () is a London boroughs, London borough in north-west London. It borders the boroughs of London Borough of Harrow, Harrow to the north-west, London Borough of Barnet, Barnet to the north-east, London Borough of Camden ...

. It is situated on the corner of St Mary's Road and Fawcett Road in Willesden. It was built between 1900 and 1906, designed by

W. D. Caröe William Douglas Caröe (1 September 1857–25 February 1938) was a British architect, particularly of churches. Early life Caröe was born on 1 September 1857 in Holmsdale, Blundellsands near Liverpool, the youngest son of the Danish Consul in ...

and is a Grade II listed building. It is in the deanery of Brent, in the archdeaconry of Northolt, in the

Diocese of London The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England. It lies directly north of the Thames. For centuries the diocese covered a vast tract and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north ...

History

Foundation

St Matthew's was founded in 1894 by London Diocesan Home Mission, when it bought a site at the lower end of St Mary's Road.Willesden Churches
from

British History Online ''British History Online'' is a digital library of primary and secondary sources on medieval and modern history of Great Britain and Ireland. It was created and is managed as a cooperative venture by the Institute of Historical Research, Universi ...

. Retrieved 23 May 2013 Construction on a temporary iron structure started on 1 December 1894.Church history
from St Matthew's Willesden. Retrieved 23 May 2013 The church, finished in 1895, could accommodate a congregation of 300 people.

Construction

Work on the permanent church, made out of brick, started on 3 November 1900 when the foundation stone was laid in a dedication ceremony celebrated by the

Archdeacon of Middlesex The Archdeacon of Middlesex is a senior cleric in the Church of England, co-responsible for the Archdeaconry of "Middlesex", which mirrors the "Kensington" episcopal area of the Diocese of London — the other person responsible being the Bish ...

. The church was designed by the architect

William Douglas Caröe William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

, and the first portion of the church was consecrated for use on 12 October 1901 by the

Bishop of London A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Arthur Winnington-Ingram Arthur Foley Winnington-Ingram (26 January 1858 – 26 May 1946) was Bishop of London from 1901 to 1939. Early life and career He was born in the rectory at Stanford-on-Teme, Worcestershire, the fourth son of Edward Winnington-Ingram (a Ch ...

. The church was completed in sections, with the first part completed in 1901. The vestries and northeast corner were finished on 25 February 1904, the organ was installed on 27 January 1906 and the nave was completed on 11 October 1906 and consecrated two days later. The capacity of the completed church was 878.

Parish hall

The parish hall was built from 17 July 1910 to 6 January 1911. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

it was used as a makeshift hospital and held 40 beds. It was bombed during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

on 28 September 1940, which claimed the lives of seven people who were sheltering in it. It was derelict until 1951 when it was rebuilt.

Parish

The local school, John Keble Church of England Primary School, has a close relationship with the church. Responsibility for the school is shared between the parish and All Souls' Church in Harlesden. Services are conducted every week in the church. Every Sunday there is Mass at 11:00 and evensong and benediction at 18:00.Announcements
from St Matthew's Willesden. Retrieved 23 May 2013

Interior

St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Chancel - geograph.org.uk - 1033286.jpg, Chancel File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Sanctuary - geograph.org.uk - 1033266.jpg, Sanctuary File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Organ - geograph.org.uk - 1033271.jpg, Organ File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Gallery - geograph.org.uk - 1033276.jpg, Gallery File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Font - geograph.org.uk - 1033282.jpg, Baptismal font File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - South chapel - geograph.org.uk - 1033273.jpg, South chapel File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - East window - geograph.org.uk - 1033283.jpg, East window File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - East end - geograph.org.uk - 1033261.jpg, Nave File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - South facing altar - geograph.org.uk - 1033275.jpg, Side altar File:St Matthew, St Mary's Road, Willesden, London NW10 - Shrine - geograph.org.uk - 1033279.jpg, Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

References

External links

St Matthew's Church site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willesden, Saint Matthew Church Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Brent 20th-century Church of England church buildings Grade II listed churches in London Diocese of London Willesden 1906 establishments in England Gothic Revival church buildings in London Willesden Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Brent Buildings by W. D. Caröe