Church of St Matthias, Malvern Link facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Matthias |
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| 52°07′46″N 2°19′04″W / 52.129366°N 2.317715°W | |
| Location | Malvern Link, Worcestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglicanism |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholicism |
| History | |
| Founded | March 1844 |
| Consecrated | 13 January 1886 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II Listed |
| Designated | 11 May 1979 |
| Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott |
| Years built | 1844-46, 1858, 1862, 1880-1881, 1899 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Malvern Link with Cowleigh |
| Deanery | Malvern |
| Archdeaconry | Worcester |
| Diocese | Worcester |
The Church of St Matthias is an Anglican church in Malvern Link, England. It is a special place of worship for the local community. Before this church was built, people living in Malvern Link had to walk about 3 miles to their parish church. That church was St. Edburga's Church in Leigh.
To help the community, the leader of Leigh church, Henry Somers-Cocks, asked Earl Somers for some land. Earl Somers kindly gave a piece of land called Link Meadow on December 27, 1843. This land was used to build the new church.
Contents
Building the Church of St Matthias
The First Design and Opening
The first church building was designed by a famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott. It was built to hold 300 people. The cost to build it was £1,900. The church was finished in 1846. It was officially opened and blessed by Bishop Pepys of Worcester on January 13, 1846.
Making the Church Bigger
As the community grew, the church needed more space. In 1858, the church was made larger by adding an extension to the south side. A new tower was also added in 1862.
By 1880, the church was still too small for everyone. So, a decision was made to extend it again, this time towards the east. A builder named Thomas Collins from Tewkesbury was chosen for the job. He estimated the cost would be £2,400. Most of the money for this extension was given by Earl Beauchamp. The architect for this new part of the church was Frederick William Hunt from London.
The Bell Tower and Its Bells
The current tower of the church was added in 1889. This tower holds a set of ten bells. These bells were made by John Taylor & Co, which is the largest bell foundry in the world.
The bells were cast at different times:
- Bell #10 was made in 1899.
- Bells #1 and #2 were made in 1993.
- Bells #3 to #9 were made in 1900.
The heaviest bell, called the Tenor, weighs about 16 hundredweight (which is about 813 kilograms). It is tuned to the musical note F#. The first time all the bells were rung together in a special way was on June 1, 1901.
Special Woodwork by the 'Mouseman'
Inside the church, you can see beautiful wooden screens in the chapel. These were made by a famous craftsman named Robert Thompson. He was known as the 'mouseman' because he carved a tiny mouse into all his wooden creations. He was from Kilburn in Yorkshire.
See also
External links
- Official Site: https://mlwc.church
- Historic England
- Church of England
