St Mary's Church, Huntingdon facts for kids
St Mary's Church is a very old and important building in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. Many people call it the "Mother Church of Huntingdon." It stands where a special religious house, called Huntingdon Priory, was built way back in 1140. This church likely served the local community when the priory moved to a different part of town many years ago.
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A Look Back in Time
In July 1607, the original church building sadly fell down. But people quickly started to rebuild it! Construction of the church you see today began in March 1608 and was finished by 1620. Later, in 1869, a room for the organ and a vestry (a room for clergy) were added. More improvements were made in 1876.
Because of its history and special design, St Mary's Church was given a Grade I listing in January 1951. This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
What the Church Looks Like
Inside and Out
St Mary's Church has several main parts. It has a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit), and aisles on the sides. There's also a south porch and a tall tower at the western end. The church was built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. This style often features fancy stone carvings and tall windows.
You can see pointed decorations called pinnacles and strong supports called buttresses on the outside. These are decorated with stone panels and small alcoves. Inside, the main part of the church (the nave) is separated from the side aisles by four arches on each side. These arches are held up by round and octagonal columns.
Special Features
Some parts of the church, like certain columns and the chancel, show older building styles. These include parts from the Early English Period and Decorated Gothic styles.
The church has a stone pulpit, which was a gift from John Montagu, 7th Earl of Sandwich. The font, used for baptisms, is also very old. It has a simple eight-sided bowl resting on a group of smaller columns.
Restorations and Memorials
The entire church was carefully restored in 1876. During this time, new wooden seats were added. A beautiful new window was also put in at the east end of the church. This window was a gift from Gerald Vesey, who was an Archdeacon of Huntingdon. Also, the church received its current set of eight bells at this time. The restoration work was led by Reginald Blomfield and cost a lot of money.
Inside the church, you can find a monument to the De Carcassonett family, put up in 1749. There's also a special memorial put up by soldiers of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment. This memorial remembers their friends who died in the Crimean War. The church can seat about 550 people. The oldest records of St Mary's Church date back to the year 1593.
