In 1874, St Mary's was built directly over the path of the District line in the Early English style using cheap machine-made red brick.

[1] In its report of the dedication on 4 July 1874, the Church Times described the interior of St Mary's: "A spacious nave is terminated in an apsidal chancel and there are two aisles.

Bold figures of Our Lady and St John on either side of a crucifix appear on the reredos, in front of which stands one of the most effective altars we have seen of late.

[2] The paintings in the arcade spandrels are by Nathaniel Westlake (1895–1896): Eve, Ruth, Esther, David and Daniel on the south wall and Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Ezekiel on the north.

The liturgy and worship at St Mary's combines Gregorian chant, Renaissance, Viennese and contemporary sacred music with the language of the Book of Common Prayer.