Holy Trinity Church, Guildford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church, Guildford |
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 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford
Location in Surrey
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| 51°14′09″N 0°34′15″W / 51.235929°N 0.570753°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal |
| History | |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Guildford |
| Archdeaconry | Surrey |
| Diocese | Guildford |
| Province | Canterbury |
Holy Trinity Church is an old and important Anglican church in the middle of Guildford, England. It's a big building made of red bricks, built in the early 1760s. It stands where a much older, medieval church used to be, which sadly fell down in the mid-1700s.
It's the only large Georgian church in Surrey. Inside, you can see amazing paintings of the Crucifixion and saints. It also has one of the largest ceilings in southern England that doesn't need extra support! It's considered a very important historical building.
From 1927 to 1961, this church was the main church for the new Diocese of Guildford. It was like a temporary cathedral until the new one was finished. Today, it's part of the same church area as Saint Mary's in the town centre.
Contents
History of the Church
Building the Church
The first church on this spot was built a very long time ago, during the Middle Ages. We don't know exactly when it was built, but we know there were rectors (church leaders) here as far back as 1304. It might have been started by the Normans. It's believed that King Henry I gave control of the church to Merton Priory, which kept it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII.
Weston Chapel
The "Weston Chapel" is a special part of the church attached to its south side. Its outside walls have a cool checkerboard pattern made of flint and stone. It was built around 1540 by Richard Weston from nearby Sutton Place. He built it mainly to be his burial place. His will, written in 1541, said he wanted to be buried "in a Chapell which I have caused to be made for the same iyntent" (meaning, "in a chapel I had built for that purpose").
The Weston family stayed Catholic even during the Protestant Reformation, which was a big challenge. It meant they couldn't hold public jobs and were often viewed with suspicion by the government. The Weston family owned the chapel until 2005. Then, they gave it to Holy Trinity Church. As part of this agreement, a Catholic mass is held in the chapel at least once a year.
There are three monuments to the Weston family still in the chapel. Two are wall tablets. The oldest one remembers Melior Mary Weston (who died in 1782), who was the last direct descendant of the chapel's builder. The other tablet is for Elizabeth Lawson, who died in 1791.
Another Weston monument, which used to be in the middle of the chapel, is now in the west porch of the main church. It's the tomb of Anne Pickering (who died in 1582). She was the wife of Sir Francis Weston, the only son of the chapel's builder. Sir Francis was executed in 1536 when he was only 25. Even though Anne remarried, she wanted to be buried near her first father-in-law. The tomb has a statue of a woman wearing a ruff.
The Church Collapses
In 1740, the church's tall steeple fell down, destroying most of the building. The only part of that old church that still stands today is the Weston Chapel. Some outside features, like the iron railings, also remain from the earlier building.
A new church, made of red bricks, was built by James Horne on the same spot. It opened in 1763. This new building is the only large 18th-century church in Surrey. It stands in an important spot at the top of Guildford's High Street.
In the mid-1800s, the inside of the church was changed a lot. For example, in 1869, the double rows of windows were replaced with single ones. The side galleries, which were like balconies, were removed in 1867. The church was also made bigger at the east end in 1886. This created the choir area, the sanctuary (where the altar is), a side chapel, and a place for the organ.
The church now feels like one huge room. The main decoration in the apse (a curved part at the end of the church) shows 'the Presence of the Crucified in the Church of all ages'. This means Jesus on the cross is shown with important figures from both the Jewish and Christian faiths. The lower paintings were done by C. E. Buckeridge between 1889 and 1891. The painting on the ceiling was added later by a different artist, which is why it looks different.
More changes happened in the 1900s. The metal screen for the choir was added in 1927. The organ has been moved and changed many times, with big updates in 1977 and 1997.
Inside the church, you can find the tomb of George Abbot. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633 and started Abbot's Hospital, which is across the street from the church. There's also a memorial to Arthur Onslow, who was a famous Speaker of the House of Commons.
The pulpit, where the preacher stands, is octagonal (eight-sided) and was built in 1769. It looks like it was designed by Christopher Wren, a famous architect. It used to be taller so the preacher could see people in the galleries, but it was made shorter in 1869. The baptismal font was given in 1910. It has a red marble bowl and is decorated with cherub heads and leaves.
The church also has a set of eight bells that are used for change ringing. Four of the bells were made in 1769, and the others were made in 1912.
Serving as Pro-Cathedral
Because the population of south-east England was growing, the diocese of Winchester was split into three parts in 1927. Holy Trinity Church was chosen to be the first cathedral for the new Diocese of Guildford. However, it was decided that the church was too small to be a permanent cathedral. So, in 1928, the diocese decided to build a new cathedral.
Work on the new cathedral started in 1933, but World War II caused big delays. It wasn't officially opened until 1961, although services had been held in its crypt (an underground room) since 1947. During all those years, Holy Trinity Church served as the temporary cathedral.
Today
Worship and Community
The way people worship at Holy Trinity Church is part of the liberal tradition of the Church of England. On Sundays, there are usually two services: a Sung Eucharist (a communion service with singing) and Evensong (an evening service). Morning Prayer is said every weekday. The Sunday worship is led by a choir of about forty people. It's special because it's a parish church choir that still has an all-boys treble (high singing voice) section.
Holy Trinity is Guildford's official civic church. This means important town events happen here, like the installation of each new Mayor and the town's yearly Act of Remembrance. It's also a popular place for concerts and other musical events.
The church community of Holy Trinity and Saint Mary's has connections with the Diocese of Highveld in South Africa. A group of church members even traveled to the Highveld in 2008 to visit.
Images for kids
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Tomb of George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, built by his brother Sir Maurice Abbot in 1635.
