We are the Roman Catholic community in Isleworth. Isleworth is a town on the River Thames in the western suburbs of London. It is part of the Borough of Hounslow. Although the area is densely built up, it does have large open spaces notably at Syon Park and Osterley Park. The population is about 30,000. It is served by arterial roads - the Great West Road (A4) and the Great Chertsey Road (A316) - and trains from London Waterloo - the Hounslow Line of the South West Trains network. The Piccadilly Underground Line (Heathrow branch) passes nearby at Osterley.
Isleworth has been a settlement since Saxon times. In the Middle Ages, it was the site of a magnificent Abbey of the Bridgettine Order. After the Reformation, Shrewsbury House was the location for one of the earliest Catholic missions in the south of England. For a fuller discussion of its story, follow the link above.
The present church was opened in 1909. Its architectural style is from the Italian Renaissance. The interior was recently completely redecorated to celebrate the Millennium.
The Isleworth Catholic community today is marked by its diversity. Between twenty and thirty countries of origin are represented, though the majority of our people come from England, Ireland and Scotland. Our homes are in Victorian terraced streets and villas, semi-detached houses from the 1920s and 30s, and post-war apartments; some are in high rise blocks and modern neo-Georgian developments. Most of our young children go to school at St. Mary's Junior, Infants and Nursery School. Older students go to Gumley House, Gunnersbury and St. Mark's Schools. Our sick and elderly are cared for in West Middlesex Hospital and in several residential homes. Some of us work in London, some at Heathrow Airport and others locally in commerce, transport and public services.
Most of the community lives within the geographical boundaries of the parish but some travel in from neighbouring areas. We have a reputation for being welcoming and inclusive. Our style is informal. There are about 500 regular churchgoers at St Bridget's.
