St Mark's Church, Swindon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mark's Church, Swindon
St Mark's Church, Swindon, from the south-east
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OS grid reference	SU 143 847
Location	Church Place, Swindon, Wiltshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Traditional Catholic (Forward in Faith)
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Mark
Dedicated	25 April 1845
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	2 October 1951
Architect(s)	Scott and Moffatt, Temple Moore
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1843
Completed	1897
Specifications
Spire height	140 feet (43 m)
Materials	Limestone, roofed in tiles and lead
Administration
Parish	Swindon New Town
Deanery	Swindon
Archdeaconry	Malmesbury
Diocese	Diocese of Bristol
Province	Province of Canterbury

St Mark's Church is a beautiful old church located in the heart of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community. St Mark's is also connected with other churches in the area, forming the "Swindon New Town" group of churches. This historic building is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important part of England's heritage.

Building St Mark's Church

St Mark's Church was built especially for the people who worked at the Great Western Railway's workshops nearby. A kind man named George Henry Gibbs, who passed away in 1842, left £500 in his will to help build a church and a school in Swindon.

In 1843, the railway company asked the public for donations. People gave generously, and they raised a total of £6,000. This was a huge amount of money back then! It would be worth about £750,000 today.

The church was designed by two famous architects, George Gilbert Scott and William Moffatt. Construction started in 1843 and finished in 1845. The church was officially opened and dedicated to Saint Mark on April 25, 1845, which is St Mark's Day. Later, in 1897, another architect named Temple Moore added a north vestry, which is a room used by the clergy.

The church follows an Anglo-Catholic style of worship, which is a specific tradition within the Church of England.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

The church is built from limestone, a strong stone, and its roofs are covered with tiles and lead. The church has a main area called the nave with five sections, and a raised part called a clerestory that lets in light. It also has side aisles, a porch, and a chancel (the area around the altar) with chapels and a vestry.

The church is built in the Decorated Gothic style, which means it has lots of fancy carvings and detailed windows. The tall tower has four levels and a door on the north side. It has strong corner supports called buttresses. At the top of the tower are openings with wooden slats called louvred bell openings, where the bells ring out.

On top of the tower is a pointed spire decorated with small hooks called crockets. It also has small windows called lucarnes. The spire reaches a height of 140 feet (43 m), which is about 43 meters! At the front of the church, there's a large doorway and a big window with five sections, featuring beautiful stone patterns called tracery. The windows along the sides of the church also have two sections with different styles of tracery.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main arches (called arcades) are supported by columns shaped like four-leaf clovers, known as quatrefoil piers. The nave has a special type of wooden roof called a hammerbeam roof, which looks very grand. The chancel roof is shaped like a half-barrel, known as a barrel vault.

You'll find beautiful stained glass windows inside, some of which were made by the famous artist Kempe. The church also has a large pipe organ. It was first built in 1922. After a fire in 1973, a new three-manual organ was brought in from another church.

St Mark's has a ring of eight bells. Six of these bells were made in 1904, and the other two were made in 1927 by a well-known bell foundry.

Music at St Mark's

St Mark's Church is famous for its amazing musical tradition. The choir performs choral music, much like you would hear in a grand English cathedral. The choir sings at the main Sunday service and other special events. They know over 30 different musical pieces for church services and have even recorded two CDs!

In 1944, a very famous composer named Benjamin Britten wrote a special piece of music called Festival Te Deum for the church's 100th birthday. It was first performed right here at St Mark's on April 24, 1945.

Churchyard Memorials

The churchyard around St Mark's is a historic place with several interesting memorials and graves.

The Gooch Tomb

This monument remembers Emma Brent Gooch (who passed away in 1872) and her husband William Frederick Gooch (who passed away in 1915). William was the younger brother of Sir Daniel Gooch, who was a very important engineer. William himself became a manager at the GWR Works. Although William is buried elsewhere, his name was added to his wife's monument. In 2016, this tomb, which had been hidden by plants, was found and cleaned as part of Swindon's 175th anniversary celebrations.

Armstrong Monument

This is a tall, polished pink granite obelisk (a four-sided pillar) dedicated to Joseph Armstrong, who died in 1877. Later, the names of his wife, children, and another person were added. Joseph Armstrong was the Superintendent of the GWR Works. His funeral was a huge event in Swindon. On the day of his funeral, June 9, 1877, shops closed, special trains ran, and a temporary platform was even built at the station. Over 6,000 people came to his service!

Frederick Hawksworth

Frederick William Hawksworth was the very last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway. He passed away in 1976, and his ashes were buried in the churchyard.