St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead |
|
|---|---|
St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead.
View, from the south east showing the chancel, south transept, tower and spire. |
|
| 51°45′33″N 0°28′22″W / 51.7591°N 0.4727°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Mary |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary & St Paul |
| Deanery | Hemel Hempstead |
| Diocese | St Albans |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, is a very old and important church. It's the main church for the town and has been a place of worship for hundreds of years. It's also a Grade I listed building, which means it's a really special historical building protected by law.
Contents
The Church's Story
Early Beginnings
In 1836, a very old stone coffin was found in the churchyard. It was from the Saxon period, a long time ago in English history. An inscription on the lid said it belonged to King Offa, a powerful king from the Mercians. This discovery makes people think that there might have been a Saxon church on this very spot even before the current building. Sadly, this special coffin has since been lost.
Building the Church
The church you see today started being built in 1140. It was officially opened in 1150, but construction work continued for another 30 years! It's a bit of a mystery why such a large and impressive church was built in what was then just a small village.
The church has a cross shape, which is called "cruciform." It has a chancel (the part near the altar), a nave (the main area where people sit), and two "arms" called transepts (one to the south and one to the north). There's also a tall tower.
The Spire and Materials
In the 1300s, a very tall spire was added to the tower. It's one of the tallest in Europe, reaching about 200 feet high! A shiny gold weather vane sits at the very top. Later, in the 1800s, a small room called a vestry was added to the church's north-east side.
The church is built from local stones like clunch stone and flint. You can also spot some old Roman bricks mixed in. Most of the church's design is in the Norman style, which was popular when it was first built. However, some porches were added later in the 1300s and 1400s.
Monks and History
In 1302, a small group of monks from Ashridge Priory came to Hemel Hempstead. For a while, St Mary's Church was connected to their monastery. There was even a special door at the bottom of the tower that allowed the monks to enter the church without mixing with the townspeople. This arrangement ended in 1536 during a time called the Dissolution of the monasteries, when many monasteries in England were closed down.
Inside the Church
Inside St Mary's, you can find a memorial dedicated to Sir Astley Paston Cooper, a famous surgeon. The church also has a beautiful Walker organ, which was repaired and updated in 2008.
The church has a set of eight bells. Records show there were five bells back in the 1500s, but none of those original bells remain. The current eight bells were made between 1590 and 1767. In 1950, for the church's 800th anniversary, the bells were carefully retuned and rehung on new steel frames.
The eight bells have interesting inscriptions:
- The first bell (called the Treble) was made by Lester and Pack in 1758.
- The second bell was also made by Lester and Pack in 1758.
- The third bell says "Chandler made me" from 1688.
- The fourth bell has the words "Praise the Lord" from 1633.
- The fifth bell says "Lawdate Domini" (which means "Praise the Lord" in Latin) and doesn't have a date.
- The sixth bell says "God save King James" from 1604.
- The seventh bell says "Sana Manet Christi" from 1617.
- The eighth bell (called the Tenor) was made by Lester and Pack in 1767.
The font, where baptisms take place, is the original Norman one. It's surrounded by decorations added in the 1800s.
More Information
- St Mary's parish website
- Diocese of St Albans
