Church of St Mary the Virgin, Richmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary the Virgin, Richmond |
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| Parish Church of St Mary, Richmond | |
St. Mary the Virgin, Richmond
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 Church of St Mary the Virgin, Richmond
Location in North Yorkshire
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| 54°24′17″N 1°43′58″W / 54.4047°N 1.7329°W | |
| OS grid reference | NZ174010 |
| Location | Richmond, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Weekly attendance | 100 (2018 benefice average) |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Perpendicular Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | Eight |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Richmond with Hudswell (460359) |
| Benefice | Richmond with Hudswell, Downholme and Marske |
| Deanery | Richmond |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Richmond, is an old and important church in the town of Richmond, England. It is a Church of England parish church. Long ago, there was another church nearby called the Church of the Holy Trinity. This church is now a museum.
The land for St Mary's Church was first given to monks from St Mary's Abbey in York. Later, it became the property of the King and then the Bishop of Chester. Today, it belongs to the Diocese of Leeds. The churchyard has a special burial area for plague victims. It also holds the graves of two soldiers who fought in the famous Battle of Waterloo. The first Richmond School building was once located here too.
The church and its surroundings are built on a hill. This hill slopes down towards the River Swale on the eastern side of the town. St Mary's has been updated many times, especially in the 1800s. It is now a grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important historical site.
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History of St Mary's Church
The Church of the Holy Trinity was once thought to be the main church in Richmond. It was inside the old castle walls. But as Richmond grew, St Mary's became the more important church. Some people say the two churches were only about 1,000 feet apart. The Holy Trinity Church stopped being a church in the 1960s. Since the early 1970s, it has been home to the Green Howards Regimental Museum. St Mary's Church now has their special Regimental Chapel.
Some historians believe Holy Trinity was never the main church. It did not have a burial ground, which was unusual for a parish church. A historian named Clarkson wrote that Holy Trinity was too small for the growing town. So, a new church, St Mary's, was built on a hill outside the town walls. This new church was built in the original burial ground for Holy Trinity. Before a big change called The Reformation, both churches were less important than Easby Abbey (St Agatha).
The church was built on a slope leading to the River Swale. There is a sharp bend in the river here called Clink Pool. A bridge called Mercury Bridge was built in 1846. This bridge made it easier to get to the town from the railway station.
Some parts of the church, like the nave (main area) and aisles (side passages), are from the mid-1100s. But many changes have been made over the years. The church was likely shaped like a cross originally. Some of the stone columns inside are even older than the 1100s church. The church tower is about 80 feet tall. It was built around 1399–1400 by the Earl of Westmorland. The church's font (a basin for baptisms) is from around the same time. The tower has strong supports called buttresses on its corners. The Earl of Westmorland helped improve the church. The font is made from Teesdale Marble. This stone has many fossils in it and was popular for building churches long ago.
Before The Reformation, the church windows showed pictures from the Bible. But after The Reformation, these pictures were seen as "superstitious." So, they were removed or replaced with plain glass. Many additions were made to the church in the 1400s. This gives the church a Perpendicular architectural style. However, some parts still show the older Gothic style from earlier changes.
The church has twelve special wooden seats called misericords. These came from Easby Abbey. They were made in the early 1500s. Some carvings show funny scenes, like a pig playing bagpipes for two piglets. Another shows a dragon stealing a goose. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, religious items were often moved from abbeys to churches. The misericords are at least from 1515. One of them has the shield of Abbot Bampton, who became the head of Easby Abbey in 1515. Other items from the abbey, like choir stalls and some bells, were also brought to St Mary's.
Between 1858 and 1859, the church was renovated by Sir Gilbert Scott. This work cost about £1,200. In 1890, an old stone item was found in the churchyard. It was placed near the pulpit. People think it might be a very old font from an even earlier church in Richmond. More changes happened in 1892. The chancel (area around the altar) got a new floor and a window was added for more light. In 1897, C. Hodgson Fowler oversaw more renovations. A new, steep roof was added, replacing the old flat one.
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In 2017, the church's bells were replaced. Eight new bells were made in Loughborough. The old bells, from around 1500 and 1697, were replaced. One of the old bells is still kept in the bell tower. The bellringers at St Mary's are a teaching group for the area. The bells are rung for special local and national events.
The church organ was first put in the north chapel in 1811. It was replaced in 1912 with a new one. This second organ was fully repaired in 2003.
The Green Howards Regimental Chapel
St Mary's Church has a special chapel for the Green Howards regiment. They hold a service there every spring for former members. The chapel was created after people raised money for it in 1931. St Mary's had been the official church for the army garrison since the early 1800s. The chapel has special flags hanging from the ceiling. It also has items from the First World War. An altar rail is dedicated to two officers who died in 1915 and 1917. The Green Howards are now part of the Yorkshire Regiment. The Royal Lancers regiment also uses the chapel for their services.
The chapel and the church are decorated with memorials. These remember soldiers who died in battle or were important members of the Green Howards. A stone tablet on a wall remembers those who died from 1916 to 1919. It lists them as the Yorkshire Regiment, which was another name for the Green Howards.
Churchyard Stories
The churchyard is a fascinating place. It holds the graves of two soldiers from the Battle of Waterloo. There is also the grave of Robert Willance, a local businessman. In 1606, Willance broke his leg when his horse fell. His leg was amputated and buried in the churchyard. Ten years later, when he died, he was buried with his leg!
The churchyard also has a special plague stone. This stone marks where 1,072 people were buried. They died from the Black Death between 1597 and 1599. Another 700 people were buried here after a plague in 1644 and 1645.
In 1816, a young poet named Herbert Knowles published poems called Stanzas in a Richmond Churchyard. He had been a student at Richmond School. In 1861, a bishop ordered a tombstone to be removed from a grave. It had a Latin phrase that was not allowed at the time. The family refused to remove it, so the church authorities did.
At the north-eastern entrance to the churchyard, there is a high wall and railings. These are also grade II listed, meaning they are historically important.
Richmond School's Old Home
The first Richmond School building was built around 1392. It was located on the eastern side of the churchyard. Maps from 1610 show it there. In the 1670s, the school moved across the road to a new site. It was used as a school until 2012. The school and the church have always been connected. Many former headteachers of the school have graves or memorials in the church grounds.
Parish and Church Leadership
The church of St Mary's is part of the Richmond parish. This parish also includes the church of St Michael and All Angels in Hudswell. In 2018, about 100 people attended church each week.
In 1137, Earl Stephen gave the "churches of Richmond" to St Mary's Abbey in York. The church was managed by the Priory of St Martin. This priory was also part of St Mary's Abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the King took control of the church. Later, it was managed by the Bishop of Chester. Today, the church is part of the Archdeaconry of Richmond and Craven. This is part of the Diocese of Leeds.
Vicars, or priests, have served at St Mary's since at least 1250.
