Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and sporting the tallest church spire in London, graceful St Mary Abbots is a haven of peace and calm. St Mary Abbots was seriously damaged by Luftwaffe fire-bombs in 1944, though the main structure survived (apocryphally, an air-raid warden played the organ to keep its pipes clear of water as fire-fighters doused the flames). The church, with its huge and inviting interior, is undergoing an ambitious plan of restoration.
Notable parishioners have included Diana, Princess of Wales, former prime minister David Cameron, Sir Isaac Newton and William Thackeray. Beatrix Potter was married at the church in 1913. Behind the church is a small garden and a charming line of bijou independent shops runs up narrow Kensington Church Walk to Holland St.
