St Mary's Church, Swansea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea |
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| The Collegiate & Parish Church of St. Mary's | |
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 St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea
Location in Swansea
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| 51°37′08″N 3°56′35″W / 51.619°N 3.943°W | |
| Location | Swansea |
| Country |  Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Previous denomination | Catholic Church |
| Website | https://www.swanseastmary.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | Collegiate church |
| Founded | early 13th century |
| Founder(s) | Henry de Gower, Bishop of Saint David's |
| Consecrated | 1959 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1896,1950 |
| Architect(s) | Arthur Blomfield, Dean Allan Smith |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Central Swansea |
| Deanery | Afon Tawe (Swansea) |
| Archdeaconry | Gower |
| Diocese | Swansea and Brecon |
| Province | Wales |
St Mary's Collegiate and Parish Church is an Anglican church located right in the heart of Swansea, Wales. It is often called the Civic Church of Swansea because of its important role in the city.
There has been a church on this spot since around 1328. It was first built by Henry de Gower, who was the Bishop of Saint David's. Over the centuries, the church has seen many changes. In 1739, something dramatic happened: the roof of the main part of the church fell in! Luckily, this happened on a Sunday morning while people were waiting to go inside, so no one was hurt. After this, almost the entire church had to be rebuilt, except for its tower.
In 1822, the church got a modern upgrade when it was lit by gas lamps for the very first time. Imagine how bright it must have seemed! Later, between 1879 and 1882, the church went through a big renovation. Then, in 1896, it was mostly pulled down and rebuilt again. This time, the design was by a famous architect named Arthur Blomfield. However, some parts of the older church were kept.
A sad event happened in February 1941 during The Blitz, a time when many British cities were bombed in World War II. St Mary's Church was badly damaged by bombs. It took many years to rebuild it, and it wasn't finished until the 1950s.
Did you know there's a funny story connected to the church? From the 1890s, a strange statue called the Swansea Devil stood on a building across from the church. It was put there by an architect who was upset because his designs for the church were not chosen. He was angry that Arthur Blomfield got the job instead!
Discover the Bells of St Mary's
The tower of St Mary's Church holds eight special bells. These bells were made in 1959 by a company called John Taylor & Co in Loughborough. The heaviest bell is very large, weighing over 1,000 kilograms (about the same as a small car!). These bells are rung for church services and special events, filling the city with their sound.
Images for kids
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View looking east towards the altar
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The Millennium Window based on Revelation 22 v5. They need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. "The sun sets on the city of Swansea but rises in the new Jerusalem"
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View looking west towards the back of the church
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The ceiling of the nave
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Aisle and columns
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The Font with its steel canopy reflecting the industrial heritage of Swansea.
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The main door. The most impressive and best preserved part of the door of the blitzed church is the carving above where we see Jesus reigning in heaven surrounded by the four gospel writers in their traditional representations. Matthew is a man, Mark a lion, Luke a bull and John an eagle. This was carved by the notable Mr. Nicholls of Lambeth in London
