St Mary's Church, Beverley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Parish Church of St Mary, Beverley |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| OS grid reference | TA 03150 39805 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 1 March 1950 |
| Architectural type | Parish church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 1520 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 197 feet (60 m) |
| Bells | 13 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of York |
| Province | Province of York |
St Mary's Church is an important Anglican church located in Beverley, a town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It's known as a parish church, which means it serves the local community. This amazing building is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very special historic place that needs to be protected.
Contents
Discovering St Mary's Church History
St Mary's Church was first built a long, long time ago, in the early 1100s. It started as a "daughter church" of Beverley Minster, which means it was a newer church connected to the main one. Its main job was to serve the people who worked in trade and business in Beverley.
Early Days and Design
The church is shaped like a cross, which is called "cruciform." It is about 197 feet long! Inside, it has a main area called the nave and a special area for the altar called the chancel. There are also side sections called transepts and aisles. You can still find some small pieces of the original 12th and early 13th-century building scattered around. These pieces tell us that by the mid-1200s, the church had a chancel without aisles, transepts, a nave with aisles, and probably a tower where the main parts of the church crossed.
Building and Changes Over Time
Big changes and rebuilding started in the late 1200s, during a time known as the Decorated period. A large chapel was added to the north transept. Around 1300, a south aisle was added to the chancel, and the south transept's east aisle was made wider. The aisles in the nave were completely rebuilt in the early 1300s.
In the 1330s or 1340s, the chancel got a north aisle. Three parts of this aisle were made into a beautiful chapel with fancy window designs and a special star-shaped ceiling called a vault. The designs on the windows and ceiling flow together, making the space feel connected and grand.
The Black Death and New Beginnings
Building work at St Mary's stopped in the mid-1300s. This happened in many places across England because of the terrible Black Death plague. Work didn't start again until around 1400. At this time, the front of the church was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style, and a row of windows high up in the nave, called a clerestory, was added.
In the early 1400s, a porch was added to the south side, and the chancel also got a clerestory. The transepts were rebuilt in the mid-1400s, reusing some of the older arches but placing them on new supports. People left money in their wills in 1451–53 to help with this work. More money in 1498–1500 helped rebuild the west end of the nave aisles.
During the 1400s and early 1500s, beautiful wooden ceilings were installed. The most famous is the chancel ceiling, which was first made in the mid-1400s. It was completely repainted in 1863 and shows pictures of forty English kings, from the legendary Brutus to Henry VI. There's even a portrait of George VI from 1939.
Tower Collapse and Rebuilding
On April 29, 1520, during an evening church service, the central tower of the church suddenly fell down! It "overwhelmed some that then were in [the church]," meaning some people inside were hurt or killed. A lot of the work on the eastern part of the nave was ruined, but the aisle walls weren't too badly damaged.
The central tower, along with the nave arches and clerestory, had to be completely rebuilt. The windows in the clerestory look like they are from around 1400, so they might have been reused even after the tower fell. The rebuilding started right away after the collapse. The south arcade (a row of arches) has the date 1524 carved into it. William Rokeby, who was the Archbishop of Dublin and from Yorkshire, left £200 in his will to help pay for the rebuilding. People who gave money for the north arcade are remembered with carvings. These include a merchant named John Crossley and his wife, the "good wives of Beverley," and the minstrels (musicians), five of whom are shown as statues.
The church's font, which is a large basin used for baptisms, was made in 1530. It was a gift from William Leryffax, a draper (someone who sells cloth) from Beverley. It's made of Derbyshire marble and has many decorations, though some of the carvings have been damaged over time.
19th Century Restorations
The 1800s saw a lot of important restoration work at St Mary's. This work started in 1829–30 under William Comins, then continued with famous architects like A. W. N. Pugin from 1844–52. Other architects like E. W. Pugin, Cuthbert Brodrick, and George Gilbert Scott also worked on the church, with Scott refitting the nave and chancel.
Modern Carvings and Celebrations
In 2020, restoration of the church's stonework began. Some old, worn-out stone carvings were replaced with new ones. These new carvings are based on characters from The Chronicles of Narnia books by C. S. Lewis.
In 2021, as part of a project to celebrate important women, it was announced that stone figures of nine women would be added to the church. These include Hull-born pilot and engineer Amy Johnson, and Hilda Lyon, an aeronautical engineer who went to Beverley High School. Other figures include Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Seacole, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Helen Sharman, Ada Lovelace, and Queen Elizabeth II.
The Church Organ
The church has a long history with its organ. In 1792, an organ built by Donaldson of York was placed in the church. This cost £311, which was raised by people giving money. In 1869, a new organ was built by Messrs Forster and Andrews. It had a beautifully carved oak screen and decorated pipes.
In 1889, the same company added a separate control panel for the organist and improved the way the organ worked. In 1908, it was completely rebuilt by Messrs Lewis & Co of London, and the old oak case was removed. In 1954, a big update was done by Hall & Broadfield. They changed how the organ's parts moved and turned the three-manual organ into a four-manual one. The rebuilt organ was officially dedicated in 1957.
Images for kids
-
East window of northeast chapel, built in the 1330s or 1340s. The stained glass is from the 19th century, by Clayton and Bell.
.jpg)
See also
