Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady and the English Martyrs |
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| Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs | |
The front (north side) of the church, from across Lensfield Rd.
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| Location | Hills Road Cambridge CB2 1JR |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Our Lady of the Assumption & the English Martyrs |
| Consecrated | 8 October 1890 |
| Relics held | Saints Felix and Constantia |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Dunn & Hansom |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1885–1890 (by Rattee and Kett) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | Interior: 48 metres (157 ft) |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 65 metres (213 ft) |
| Materials | Limestone (Casterton, Ancaster, Combe Down) |
| Bells | 8 (9 including Angelus) |
| Tenor bell weight | 31 long cwt 2 qr 5 lb (3,533 lb or 1,603 kg) in D |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Cambridge |
| Diocese | East Anglia |
| Province | Westminster |
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, often called Our Lady and the English Martyrs (or OLEM), is a large Roman Catholic church in Cambridge, England. It is located where Hills Road and Lensfield Road meet. This impressive church was built between 1885 and 1890 in the Gothic Revival style. It is considered a very important building and is listed as a Grade I heritage site.
Contents
Building the Church
For a long time after the English Reformation, there was only one Catholic church in Cambridge, called St Andrew's. People wanted a bigger church. In 1865, a priest named Canon Thomas Quinlivan bought some land for a new church, but there wasn't enough money to build it.
Later, in 1879, with help from the Duke of Norfolk, more land was bought. The job of finding money then went to Monsignor Christopher Scott. On a special day for Catholics, the Feast of the Assumption in 1884, a very rich woman named Yolande Lyne-Stephens offered to pay £70,000 (which would be like millions of pounds today!) to build the church.
The building work started in 1885, following plans by architects Dunn and Hansom. The company Rattee and Kett did the construction. The first stone was laid in June 1887. Building such a large Catholic church in a very noticeable spot caused some debate. This was because Catholic churches were not common in England at that time.
Even though Mrs Lyne-Stephens was unwell, the church was finished and officially opened on October 8, 1890. The first Mass (a Catholic church service) was attended by almost all the Catholic bishops from England and Wales. The old St Andrew's Church was later moved and rebuilt in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.
Church History
After it opened, the number of Catholics in the area grew a lot. This was partly because of the popular sermons given by Father Robert Benson and the hard work of Monsignor Scott.
The church also hosted important events. In 1921, it held the Bible Congress, which was the biggest gathering of Catholics in Cambridge since the English Reformation. From 1922 to 1946, the church was used by the Cambridge Summer School of Catholic Studies.
During The Blitz in 1941, a small bomb hit the church. It made a large hole in the roof of the sacristy (a room where priests prepare) and another hole in the wall of the Sacred Heart chapel. Many windows were broken, and part of the organ area collapsed. The repairs cost a lot of money, including replacing the windows to look like the originals.
Church Design and Features
This church is one of the biggest Catholic churches in the United Kingdom. It is built in the Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like medieval Gothic cathedrals. It has a traditional cross shape when viewed from above. The church features a rounded end section called an apse and a tower in the middle.
Different types of Limestone were used for building, including Casterton stone for the base and Ancaster and Combe Down stone for the rest. Inside, you'll find Bath stone, Plymouth marble, and Newbiggin stone. The church's spire is the tallest in Cambridge, reaching 214 feet (65 meters) high, and you can see it from miles away.
The beautiful stained-glass windows show scenes from the lives of English martyrs, especially St John Fisher. They also show symbols of Cambridge Colleges.
In the 1970s, the sanctuary (the area around the altar) was updated. On April 7, 1973, Bishop Charles Grant officially blessed the main altar we see today. The original high altar is now mainly used for keeping the Blessed Sacrament.
In 2022, the church's importance was recognized even more when it was upgraded to a Grade I listed building.
Rectory Building
Next to the church, to the south, is the rectory building. This is where the priests live. It was built around 1890 in the Tudor style. It has red bricks, stone decorations, and a roof that looks like a castle. This building is also a Grade II listed building.
Old Statue
The church has a special wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child from the mid-1500s. It is about half life-size. People say this statue was found at Emmanuel College in 1850. It is believed to be the same statue that was ordered to be removed in 1538 by Thomas Cromwell. A sign near the statue says it was once in the Dominican priory that used to be where Emmanuel College is now.
Music at the Church
The church has a semi-professional choir called the Choir of Our Lady and the English Martyrs. It includes talented singers who used to be choral scholars at the university. There is also a second choir, the Schola Cantorum, which sings mostly in Latin. They perform polyphony (music with many voices) and Gregorian chant during the weekly Latin Mass.
The church's organ was built in 1890 by Abbott and Smith. The famous composer Charles Villiers Stanford helped design it. The organ was updated in 2002 by Nicholson & Co Ltd.
The bell tower has eight bells that can be rung in a special way called change ringing. There is also a ninth bell for the Angelus (a prayer). All the bells were made in 1895 by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough. Each bell has a special message carved into it.
The largest bell, called the tenor bell, weighs about 31 long tons. It is thought to be the heaviest bell in Cambridgeshire. The chimes you hear every 15 minutes from the clock were made by Potts of Leeds. They are based on an "Alleluia" chant used for Easter.
Gallery
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The church seen from Parker's Piece
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The large window on the north side
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The sanctuary area inside the church
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The high altar under its special canopy
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The 16th-century statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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The east side of the church, from Hills Road
