Church of St Mary Major, Exeter facts for kids
The Church of St Mary Major, also called Exeter Minster a long time ago, was a very old church in the city of Exeter, England. It was first built around the 600s! This means it was around about 500 years before the first Exeter Cathedral.
The church was rebuilt many times over the years. Sadly, it was finally taken down in 1971. Today, where the church once stood, there is a peaceful grassy area right next to Exeter Cathedral.
Contents
A Look Back at St Mary Major
From Roman Baths to Saxon Minster
The very first building found on this spot was a Roman bath-house. It was built around 60-65 AD. Later, in the 600s, the Anglo-Saxons built a monastery or "minster" on top of the old bath-house.
A famous person named Saint Boniface (who lived from about 675 to 754) was educated at Exeter Minster around 680. At that time, the monastery was called Escancastre or Examchester.
A Church's Many Lives
Around 930, an Anglo-Saxon king named Æthelstan rebuilt the minster. But in 1003, Viking raiders burned it down! King Canute rebuilt it again in 1018.
In 1050, the main church for the area, called the See of Crediton, moved to Exeter Minster. This happened with permission from King Edward the Confessor. This move created the See of Exeter.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, a new cathedral started being built in 1114. This new cathedral was for the See of Exeter and was located right next to Exeter Minster. It was finished around 1220.
Once the new cathedral was ready, the bishop moved out of the minster. The minster then became a regular parish church. It was named after Saint Mary. The word "Major" in its name likely meant it was a very important church, like the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The End of an Era
In 1865, the church was taken down to build a bigger one. This was because the city's population had grown a lot. The new, larger church was finished in 1867.
Luckily, this church was not bombed during World War II, even though much of Exeter was damaged. However, by 1971, not many people were attending services there. So, it was finally demolished.
After the church was taken down, workers found some old Saxon graves. They also found the foundations of the Roman bath-house and the Saxon Minster! Today, the site is a flat, grassy area.
See also
