St Mary's Church, Mold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Mold |
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St Mary's Church, Mold, from the south
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| 53°10′09″N 3°08′35″W / 53.1691°N 3.1430°W | |
| Location | High Street, Mold, Flintshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 21 June 1953 |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Turner (tower) Sir George Gilbert Scott Prothero, Phillott and Barnard |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Groundbreaking | c. 1490 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone with lead roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Mold |
| Deanery | Mold |
| Archdeaconry | Wrexham |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Province | Church in Wales |
St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church located in Mold, Flintshire, Wales. It's a very important building, listed as Grade I, which means it has special historical or architectural value. The church is part of the Church in Wales and has connections to the Stanley family, who were powerful Earls of Derby. You can see their family symbols here, like an Eagle and Child, and the Three Legs of Man, which comes from when they were rulers of the Isle of Man.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church stands where an even older church once was. That first church was built in the Norman style but started to fall apart in the 1300s. A bigger church was built in the 1400s, but it also got old and was mostly taken down, except for its tower.
Building the Current Church
Work on the church you see today started around 1490. A very important person, Lady Margaret Beaufort, who was the mother of King Henry VII, helped pay for the first parts. She died in 1509, but the main part of the church (the nave and aisles) wasn't finished until about 1550.
After the English Reformation (a big change in the church), two Bishops of St Asaph also gave money to help. The church was supposed to get a chancel (the part of the church near the altar) built by Bisham Priory, but this never happened. Instead, the arch for the chancel was closed off, and a large window was put in its place.
Changes Over the Years
Over the centuries, St Mary's Church had many updates:
- In 1674, a clock was added.
- The roof was re-covered with lead in 1674.
- New bells were put in during 1678 and 1733.
- Restoration work happened in 1729.
- A gallery (a raised seating area) was added in 1751–1752.
- The tall west tower was rebuilt between 1768 and 1773 by an architect named Joseph Turner.
Victorian Restoration
A very big renovation took place from 1853 to 1856. This was led by a famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. During this time:
- A new chancel was added.
- The old gallery was removed.
- The pews were replaced with carved wooden benches.
- A new pulpit (where sermons are given), lectern (where readings are done), and choir stalls were installed.
- A new roof was built over the nave.
- The organ was moved.
- A porch was added on the north side.
More repairs were done in 1885. Further restoration work happened in 1911, including rebuilding the south porch. The Lady Chapel (a special chapel dedicated to Mary) was restored in 1921. Even more work was done in the 1950s and again from 1998 to 2001 to keep the church in good condition.
Architecture and Features
St Mary's Church is mostly built from local Cefn sandstone. Most of its design is in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England from the late 1300s to the mid-1500s. This style is known for its tall, slender elements and large windows.
Structure of the Church
The church has a main area called the nave with seven sections and a clerestory (a row of windows above the main arches). It also has a chancel, north and south aisles, a west tower, a north vestry, and a south porch. You can see many carvings on the stone, including rows of animals.
The tower has three levels and a top with battlements (like a castle wall) and pointed decorations called pinnacles. The aisles also have battlements and pinnacles. Each section of the aisles has a large window with four lights (sections of glass).
Inside the Church: Fittings and Furniture
- The font (used for baptisms) is from 1847 and is also in the Perpendicular style. Its cover was made from an old 1700s chandelier.
- The reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) is made of alabaster and was designed by John Douglas.
- The pews (church benches) have carvings called "poppyheads" on their ends.
- The pulpit** and **stalls (special seats for the choir) were designed by George Gilbert Scott in 1856.
- The items in the north-east chapel were designed in 1921 as a war memorial.
Stained Glass Windows
The church has beautiful stained glass windows made by different artists and companies. One window remembers the famous painter Richard Wilson, who is buried in the churchyard. Other memorials include a brass plaque from 1602 and decorative plaques from 1666 to 1757.
The Organ
The organ was installed in 1973 by a company from Liverpool. It replaced an older organ by the same company. This organ is special because it has a "baroque voicing," which means it sounds like organs from the Baroque period (1600s-1700s). Instead of the usual swell louvres (slats that open and close to change sound), it has carved hinged doors that open. This organ was rebuilt again in 2008.
The Bells
The tower has a set of eight bells. Five of them were made in 1732, and three more were added in 2005.
See also
