This church is a beautiful building in Fratton, on the corner of St. Mary's Road and Fratton Road…read more The current building was consecrated on 10th October 1889 and was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield. It is part of the parish of St. Mary, Portsea which also includes the nearby churches St. Wilfrid's and St. Faith's. The 165 foot high tower is currently being renovated and the parish is raising the funds to complete this. I first attended St. Mary's Church in the summer and was amazed at the warm welcome I received and the friendliness of everyone. I have been included in lots of events including a barbecue, Harvest Supper (where the clergy did an hilarious version of songs from Mamma Mia!!) and the Autumn Fayre.

I am not a religious person, but I like St Marys church for 3 reasons…read more Every year it holds a fantastic May Day Fete with lots of stalls and attractions. I go every year, and have taken the opportunity to climb the tower and enjoy the wonderful views from the top. It's always an extremely well attended event no matter the weather, and is popular with all ages. The kids love the pony rides and I love all the bric a brac stalls. The second reason I like St Marys church is that it is a really nice building. I love driving by and seeing weddings going on, or seeing Brides and Grooms arriving by horse drawn cart (this is not such a rare occasion when we have beautiful sunny summers)! The third thing I enjoy is the fact that it provides a green open space in the Fratton area of Portsmouth (which is a real rarity these days) and there are benches so you can sit and enjoy a bit of a rest.