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 | United Kingdom |
| 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's a special place of worship for the local community.
Before this church was built, people in Malvern Link had a long walk. They had to go about 3 miles to their main church, St. Edburga's in Leigh. This was a big problem, especially in bad weather.
So, the local church leader, Henry Somers-Cocks, asked a wealthy landowner named Earl Somers for help. Earl Somers kindly gave some land for a new church on December 27, 1843. This land was known as Link Meadow.
Contents
Building the First Church
The first Church of St Matthias was designed by a famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. He was known for designing many beautiful buildings.
This first church was quite large, with space for 300 people. It cost about £1,900 to build, which was a lot of money back then! The church was finished in 1846. It was officially opened and blessed by Bishop Pepys of Worcester on January 13.
Growing Bigger
Over time, the community in Malvern Link grew. More people meant the church needed to be bigger.
- In 1858, the church was made larger by adding an extension to the south side.
- A new tower was added to the church 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 company named Thomas Collins of Tewkesbury was chosen for the job. They estimated the cost would be £2,400. Most of the money for this big extension came from Earl Beauchamp, another important local figure. The architect for this new part of the church was Frederick William Hunt.
The Bells of St Matthias
The church's current tower 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 number 10 was made in 1899.
- Bells number 1 and 2 were made in 1993.
- Bells number 3 to 9 were made in 1900.
The heaviest bell is called the Tenor. It weighs about 16 hundredweight (which is about 813 kilograms!). It is tuned to the note F#. The first time all ten bells were rung together in a special pattern was on June 1, 1901.
Special Features
Inside the church, you can see some beautiful wooden screens in the chapel. These were made by Robert Thompson. He was a famous craftsman from Yorkshire, known as the 'mouseman' because he often carved a tiny mouse into his work. See if you can spot one!
See also
- Places of worship in Malvern, Worcestershire
- Stedman triples rung at St Mathias
