Roman Catholic Church Of St Mary

The Roman Catholic Church of St Mary is a significant building located in Camden, dating back to around 1816. It was commissioned by Abbe Morel and later refronted around 1830. The belfry and aedicule featuring a sculptured Virgin and Child were added around 1850, with restoration completed in 1990. The church is finished in stucco.

The exterior features a narrow entrance front with a prominent central entrance bay that rises through the gable end, culminating in a segmental pedimented bellcote topped with a cross. The entrance is round-arched, with an architrave and pilasters, flanked by paired pilasters at the corners that support a Doric entablature. Above this, there is a pedimented aedicule that houses the sculptured Virgin and Child, along with a roundel beneath the bellcote.

Inside, the church has a three-bay nave with arched windows, vaulted transept chapels adorned with mosaics, and a vaulted three-bay sanctuary featuring a marble and mosaic baldacchino. This area includes inset oil paintings of holy scenes by Adrian Gilbert Scott, who also designed the altar. There is a western gallery as well.

Historically, the church is notable as one of the earliest Roman Catholic churches built in England after the Reformation. It served a growing congregation in Hampstead, led by Abbe Morel, a refugee from the French Revolution. The more elaborate facade was constructed following the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829.