Huge fire destroys historic church described as ‘architectural treasure’
A heritage-listed church described as an ‘architectural and historical treasure’ has been destroyed in a fire.
Some 80 firefighters were scrambled to battle the blaze at St Mark’s Church in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, northwest London, shortly before 11.30pm on Thursday.
The whole of the two-storey building was alight, with residents asked to keep doors and windows closed due to the significant amount of smoke billowing from it.
The London Fire Brigade said the fire was under control by 2.22am on Friday and although there were no injuries, the Anglican building was ‘destroyed’.
The LFB said it used three ladders, including the tallest in Europe at 64 metres, as towers to distribute water evenly and extinguish the blaze.
The National Churches Trust had listed St Mark’s as a grade II Victorian church, describing it as an ‘architectural and historical treasure’ which finished construction between 1846 and 1847.
It contained ‘stunning’ mosaics by the Salviati family as well as highly decorative marble flooring in the chancel, with the overall Gothic-styled design the work of architect Thomas Cundy Junior.
The church was located near Abbey Road Studios and Lord’s Cricket Ground, and had links to author Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold.
The LFB said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.