Editing Hanwell (section)

===The parish church===
[[File:St mary hanwell 38.jpg|thumb|St Mary, Hanwell, built in 1841|right]]
[[St. Mary's Church, Hanwell|St Mary's Church]] is the original ''ancient parish'' church. The present church structure was built in 1841. As such, it stands as one of [[George Gilbert Scott]]'s very early churches, executed in the style of [[Gothic Revival]], and consists of masoned white [[limestone]] and [[gault]] brickwork, with flint-rubble and mortar panels. Scott himself later condemned his work of this period as "a mass of horrors". However, the famous painter [[William Frederick Yeames]], who at one time was its churchwarden, is thought to have done the wall paintings in the [[chancel]].<ref>'Hanwell: [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22345&strquery=Mary%20hanwell Churches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042732/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22345&strquery=Mary%20hanwell |date=28 September 2007 }}', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 230–33. Retrieved 25 July 2007.</ref>

Perhaps the most famous [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] was [[George Glasse|Dr. George H. Glasse]]; he has a memorial place in his memory in St. Mary's Churchyard (Grade II). Still surviving is the home he had built for him nearby in 1809. It is executed in the style of [[cottage orné]] and named [[The Hermitage (Hanwell)|The Hermitage]] (Grade II). [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] described it thus: "a peach of an [[Gothic Revival architecture|early c19 Gothic]] thatched cottage with two pointed windows, a [[quatrefoil]], and an [[ogee]] arched door, all on a minute scale. Inside, an [[octagon]]al hall and reception room".<ref name="Pev">Pevsner N B L (1991). The buildings of England, London 3:  North-West. {{ISBN|0-300-09652-6}}</ref>

In latter years another well-known rector was [[Fred Secombe]] (brother of [[Harry Secombe]]). After leaving and moving back to [[Wales]], he became a prolific author.
[[File:The Hermitage -Hanwell W7.jpg|thumb|{{center|[[The Hermitage (Hanwell)|The Hermitage]] <br />built 1809 (Grade II) }}|right]]

No archaeological evidence has been found so far, to show that any church existed here earlier than shown in written records. However, due to its commanding [[Topography|topographical]] position, which enables the distinctive [[broach spire]] to be seen from many miles away, it has been suggested that this may have been a [[Paganism|pagan]] place of worship long before Christianity reached this part of the world. There is however, no evidence to support this theory. An early supporter of this [[hypothesis]] was Sir [[Montagu Sharpe]] KC DL, a local historian and a member of the [[Society of Antiquaries of London|Society of Antiquaries]].<ref>Sharpe, Montagu (1926). Some accounts of bygone Hanwell. page 24. Brentford Printing and Publishing Coy., Ltd. London. UK.</ref> (In nearby [[Northolt]], the parish church, which is also on high ground, has had much evidence found around it of past occupation by the [[Beaker People]].)