St Mary's church, Wanstead, stands in Overton Drive. Pevsner described it as "A church worthy in its appearance of the noble aspiration of the mansion." The church was built between 1787 and 1790, by Thomas Hardwick, under the direction of the two principal landowners, Sir James Tylney-Long and George Bowles of Wanstead Grove. Tynley-Long had donated the site which was just north of the old church.