St Mary's, Staines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's, Staines |
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| Parish church of St Mary, Staines | |
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 St Mary's, Staines
Location in Surrey
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| 51°26′11″N 0°31′08″W / 51.4364°N 0.5188°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | St. Mary |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | John Burges Watson |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Staines |
| Archdeaconry | Middlesex |
| Episcopal area | Kensington |
| Diocese | London |
St Mary's Church in Staines-upon-Thames is a special place of worship for the Church of England. It's located in the town of Staines-upon-Thames, which is part of Surrey and the wider Greater London Urban Area. The church belongs to the Diocese of London. You can find it on a small hill right by the River Thames, at the western edge of town. It's considered a very important historical building, officially listed as 'Grade II*' since 1952.
Contents
A Look at the Past
The Church's History
The church stands on a small mound. This spot offers great views over the land between the River Colne and the River Thames. This suggests that the first church here might have been built on a much older, pre-Christian holy site. Ancient Celtic items have been found nearby. These were discovered at Church Island, about 200 meters (656 feet) south of the church. Before the Thames became easy to travel on by boat, you could reach this island by walking across a shallow part of the river when the water was low.
Some people used to think the first church was built here in AD 685. However, the earliest written proof of a church building is from 1179. It's possible it existed even earlier, around 1100.
Building Changes Over Time
The oldest part of the church that is still standing today is its tower. A plaque on the tower says it was designed by Inigo Jones and built in 1631.
A large part of the main church building fell down in the 1820s. So, a new main area, called a chancel, was started. This happened after a special law was passed, allowing the rest of the old church to be taken down. In 1827, the last pieces of the older St Mary's were removed.
The current main part of the church, called the nave, was designed by John Burges Watson. Building began the next year, in 1828. In 1885, a round section with three windows was added to the chancel. The church organ was also moved to where it is now. After World War II, the stone decorations on top of the tower were removed because they were unsafe. This might have been due to a bomb that landed nearby during the war.
Interesting Features
Beautiful Stained Glass
The Trident Memorial Window remembers a sad plane crash that happened in Staines in 1972. This was the worst air accident in Britain before the Lockerbie bombing. The Bishop of Kensington at the time, Michael Colclough, led a special service to bless the window when it was put in place in 2004.
One of the church's 19th-century windows was a gift from the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Prussia. The Crown Princess was Queen Victoria's oldest daughter. They gave the window to remember Augusta Maria Byng. She was the governess (a teacher who lives with the family) for their children and used to live in Staines.
The Church Organ
The church has an organ made by Brindley & Foster. It was thought to be from the early 1870s. In 1973, the organ was taken apart to be fixed up. The repairers found that the organ was actually built before 1830. However, a church magazine from the 1870s says the organ was put into the church in 1871. This means Brindley & Foster likely took an older organ, made it bigger, and fixed it up before installing it. The organ was moved in 1885 from its first spot at the back of the church to its current place behind the choir.
Church Bells
St Mary's has a set of eight bells. All of them were made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Richard Phelps cast six of the bells in 1734. In 1829, Thomas II Mears made two new bells and remade one of the older ones. The five bells made by Phelps that are still here are important and are listed for preservation.
In 1999, a check showed cracks in three of the bells. So, in 2002, Whites of Appleton took them down from the tower. They fixed the cracked bells and then sent all of them to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry to be re-tuned. After that, the bells were put back up with new parts. Bishop Edward Holland blessed them again in a special service that same year.
Notable Burials
Some interesting people are buried at St Mary's, including:
- Augusta Maria Byng, who was a governess for the children of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Prussia. One of her students later became Kaiser Wilhelm II.
- François-Henri, duc d'Harcourt, a French nobleman who represented the exiled King Louis XVIII in the United Kingdom.
- Letitia, Lady Lade, known for her beauty and horse riding skills.
- The tomb of George Hawkins (who died in 1761) and his wife Elizabeth is also a listed historical item.
- George Gammon Adams, an English sculptor known for his statue of General Charles Napier in Trafalgar Square.
