About the Building

The Parish of St Mary’s was founded in AD 1657 and consecrated in AD 1662 when it was known as “The West Cowes Chappell”. The Chappell was replaced in 1816 with a church and tower designed by the famous Regency architect, John Nash (1752-1835). In 1866 the church was found to be structurally unsafe and so was rebuilt in 1867, incorporating the original Nash tower that you can see today. The church is Victorian in design by the architect Arthur Cates, F.R.I.B.A (1829-1901), and the chancel which accommodates the choir, organ and the ‘High Altar’ was extended in 1900. St Mary’s is a Grade ** listed building and extensive restoration work has been completed in the last few years.

The organ was installed by ‘Father’ Willis and after a rebuild in 1984 by the Deane Organ Builders of Taunton, Somerset using modern technology and materials, including the addition of extra stops, although not the largest, it is reputed to be one of the finest on the Island.

We aim to maintain this church not as a museum, but as a powerhouse of prayer and a centre for the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Regrettably the church has to remain locked when unattended for insurance and security reasons. However we welcome visitors and endeavour to open the church as much as possible. If you plan to visit the church it is advisable to contact us in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your visit. St Mary’s Church is situated at the top of Cowes adjoining Northwood Park and overlooks the town centre which is just a short walk away and is close to the bus and Red Jet terminals.

The Friends of St Mary’s

The 'Friends of St Mary's is a registered charity set up in 1999 to gain support from the local community, and further afield, to help with major repairs to the church building. Since then the friends have raised many thousands of pounds towards the cost of repairs to the tower and the north roof. There is still much work to be done. By becoming a member for a minimum subscription of just Ł5 per year you can join the friends of St. Mary’s & help preserve the beautiful landmark church of Cowes so that it can continue to be enjoyed by worshippers and visitors. For further information and detail of how to support the Friends of St Mary's follow this link http://www.cowestowncouncil.co.uk/stmarys.aspx

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The Parish of St Mary’s was founded in AD 1657 and consecrated in AD 1662 when it was known as “The West Cowes Chappell”. The Chappell was replaced in 1816 with a church and tower designed by the famous Regency architect, John Nash (1752-1835). In 1866 the church was found to be structurally unsafe and so was rebuilt in 1867, incorporating the original Nash tower that you can see today. The church is Victorian in design by the architect Arthur Cates, F.R.I.B.A (1829-1901), and the chancel which accommodates the choir, organ and the ‘High Altar’ was extended in 1900. St Mary’s is a Grade ** listed building and extensive restoration work has been completed in the last few years.
	The organ was installed by ‘Father’ Willis and after a rebuild in 1984 by the Deane Organ Builders of Taunton, Somerset using modern technology and materials, including the addition of extra stops, although not the largest, it is reputed to be one of the finest on the Island.
We aim to maintain this church not as a museum, but as a powerhouse of prayer and a centre for the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Regrettably the church has to remain locked when unattended for insurance and security reasons. However we welcome visitors and endeavour to open the church as much as possible. If you plan to visit the church it is advisable to contact us in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your visit. St Mary’s Church is situated at the top of Cowes adjoining Northwood Park and overlooks the town centre which is just a short walk away and is close to the bus and Red Jet terminals.

The Friends of St Mary’s The 'Friends of St Mary's is a registered charity set up in 1999 to gain support from the local community, and further afield, to help with major repairs to the church building. Since then the friends have raised many thousands of pounds towards the cost of repairs to the tower and the north roof. There is still much work to be done. By becoming a member for a minimum subscription of just Ł5 per year you can join the friends of St. Mary’s & help preserve the beautiful landmark church of Cowes so that it can continue to be enjoyed by worshippers and visitors. For further information and detail of how to support the Friends of St Mary's follow this link http://www.cowestowncouncil.co.uk/stmarys.aspx