St Mark the Evangelist Church, Upper Hale, Farnham Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mark the Evangelist, Upper Hale
St Mark the Evangelist
51°14′06″N 0°48′01″W / 51.235075°N 0.800314°W / 51.235075; -0.800314
Location	Alma Lane, Upper Hale, Surrey, GU9 9RP
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
Website	badshotleaandhale.org/
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Mark the Evangelist
Dedicated	14 July 1883
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	10 December 2021
Architect(s)	A.R.Barker
Construction cost	£1200
Administration
Parish	Badshot Lea and Hale
Deanery	Farnham
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Surrey
Diocese	Diocese of Guildford

St Mark the Evangelist Church is a Church of England parish church located in Upper Hale, Surrey. It is built from red bricks and has a simple design inside and out. The church is famous for its "fine" and "original" wall paintings by a local artist named Kitty Milroy. St Mark's Church was officially opened in 1883.

History of St Mark's Church
Inside St Mark's Church
St Mark's Church Today
Leaders of St Mark's Church
Gallery
See also

History of St Mark's Church

St Mark's Church was built because the main church in Hale, St John the Evangelist Church, Hale, Surrey, was too far for many people. The Vicar of Hale, John Powell, worked hard to make this new church happen. People even collected stones from the local area to help build the walls.

Many servants from the larger houses couldn't go to St John's because they were working. It was also too dark and scary for them to walk there at night. So, the vicar started holding services for them at the local school. When more and more people started coming, it became clear that a new church was needed in the area.

The Bishop of Winchester, Harold Browne, officially opened St Mark's on July 14, 1883. This was the day before St Swithun's Day. The first church service was held the very next day. This is why a special window in the church shows St Swithun. A newspaper at the time said the new church was in a "very poor and populous part" of Hale, where the old church was "totally inadequate" (not good enough) for the people living there.

In December 2021, St Mark's Church was given Grade II listed status. This means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected.

Inside St Mark's Church

The Tudor Altar

The church has an altar that looks like it's from the Tudor period. It has a message carved into it that says, "GIVEN BI HENRIE LVNNE 1608." This is 275 years before St Mark's was even built! People believe it came from St Andrew's Church, Farnham. A newspaper article from 1880 mentioned that the old altar from St Andrew's was given to the Vicar of Hale for a new church planned for Hale Common.

The Pipe Organ: "Emily"

At first, a harmonium (a type of keyboard instrument) was used for music during services. But thanks to a gift from a local woman named Emily Mangles, a pipe organ was installed in 1912. The organ was built by Samuel Frederick Dalladay. It's a good example of his smaller organs and sounds very nice. Some small changes were made later, but it's mostly still the same as when it was built. The organ is lovingly called "Emily" after the woman who made it possible.

Amazing Wall Paintings

Wall paintings by Kitty Milroy

The area around the altar is decorated with beautiful wall paintings. These were created between 1911 and 1920 by a local artist named Kitty Milroy. Her artwork is very special:

Kitty Milroy's unique paintings show scenes like the Annunciation (when an angel tells Mary she will have Jesus) and the Benedicite (a song of praise).
She painted large figures that represent the different seasons.
Near the bottom of the walls, there are painted circles with pictures of local places and views.
Her work mixes ideas from European Symbolist painting and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Kitty Milroy used a difficult painting method called "spirit fresco." Her skill was amazing, and she used many different colors available in the early 1900s.

A project to clean and fix these wall paintings started in 2021. In September 2023, a special sign honoring Kitty Milroy was put up in Farnham.

Stained Glass Windows

Around 1955, two stained glass windows were put in. They show St Mary and St Agnes. One of these windows came from a children's home nearby. Later, a third window showing St Mark was added. This window was made by John Blyth, a famous glass artist from Scotland. He signed his work by adding a tiny bumble bee. The window with St Mark even has a piece of rare red glass from the 1500s in the Bible that St Mark is holding.

The Choir Vestry

The Choir Vestry is a room where the choir gets ready. It measures about 22 feet by 12 feet. Members of the church built it themselves, and it cost £400. It was officially opened on February 1, 1959.

The Centenary Window

To celebrate 100 years of worship at St Mark's, the church asked John Blyth (the same artist who made the St Mark window) to create another stained-glass window. This window shows St Swithun of Winchester. It is placed next to the main entrance.

The window shows St Swithun wearing special church clothes and holding his staff. At his feet, you can see a picture of Winchester Cathedral. To remember the stories about St Swithun and rain, there is water from the River Itchen under him and a rainbow above his head. The border of the window has symbols of the Holy Trinity.

This window was chosen because the church was dedicated by the Bishop of Winchester on July 14, 1883, which was the day before St Swithun's Day. The first Holy Communion service was on St Swithun's Day itself. This was the seventh window John Blyth made for the parish.

The Bells

St Mark's Church first had one bell. Later, two more were added, and people called them "Tom, Dick, and Harry." During World War I, they were rung every lunchtime to ask people to pray for the soldiers fighting. Two of the bells cracked, and the third one stopped working. So, they were taken to a company called John Taylor & Co and melted down. They were then made into one new bell.

St Mark's Church Today

St Mark the Evangelist Church is part of the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale. It belongs to the Diocese of Guildford. The church follows the Liberal Catholic tradition within the Church of England.

Services include an informal worship service on Sundays at 11:00 AM and a Communion Service on Fridays at noon.

The church cares about the environment and has an Eco Church award. This means they work to be environmentally friendly. They also welcome everyone, no matter their background, gender, abilities, or wealth. It is listed as an Inclusive Church.