Built in 1822, St Mark’s was listed as a Grade 1 property in 1958 and placed on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register in 1989. It was also known as the ‘American Church’ given its proximity to the former US Embassy and President Eisenhower and Eleanor Roosevelt are known to have attended services there.
Following the Second World War, the congregation dwindled to the point that the church was deconsecrated by the Church of England in 1974. Numerous attempts been made to revive St Mark’s through proposals for alternative uses. However, none were successful in securing a long-term use for the building which were sympathetic to is character and which would enable the major restoration works required to be carried out.
In 2014, Grosvenor’s proposals to transform the building into a retail and dining destination and community hub with event space for local community groups and charities were approved. Importantly, the plans were both sensitive to the historic fabric and significance of the former church and would allow it to be fully opened up to the public after decades in private ownership.
In 2019, Mercato Metropolitano, a sustainable community market for food lovers opened in St Mark’s, completing the restoration.