St Mary's Church, Tadcaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Tadcaster |
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St Mary's Church, Tadcaster
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| 53°53′08″N 1°15′44″W / 53.8855°N 1.2623°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | St Mary, Tadcaster |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Tadcaster |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St Mary's Church is a special church in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It's part of the Church of England. This church was built a long, long time ago in the 1400s. Today, it's still a busy place where people go to worship.
Contents
Where to Find St Mary's Church
The church is located near Kirkgate, right next to what used to be Tadcaster's main market square. It sits close to the River Wharfe. Because it's so near the river, the church has sometimes been affected by floods.
The Church's Long History
Even though the old Domesday Book from 1086 doesn't mention a church in Tadcaster, we know the area is very old. A book from 731 AD, called the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, says that a famous abbess named Hieu lived in Tadcaster. This makes us think there might have been a wooden church here even before the Normans arrived in England in 1066.
Building the First Stone Church
The first church made of stone was built around 1150 AD. More parts were added over the years. But in 1318, the church was sadly burned and damaged by the Scots. It was rebuilt bigger and better around 1380. Even more additions were made between 1420 and 1480. This is how the church got its shape that we see today.
Dealing with Floods and Rebuilding
Being so close to the river, the church often had problems with flooding. This was not only inconvenient for people attending services but also caused damage to the building. In 1758, people complained about the floods. An architect's report in 1859 even noted that the top of the church tower was leaning over by about 43 centimeters!
To protect it from future floods, the church was carefully taken down between 1875 and 1877. Then, it was rebuilt in the same spot but raised about 1.2 meters higher. This helped a lot, and the church was mostly safe from floods until 2015. In 2015, it was flooded to a depth of about 1 meter.
Bringing the Old Church Back to Life
The rebuilding project was led by an architect named Edward Birchall from Leeds. He made sure to use many of the original stones and parts. He also carefully copied the old designs and style. The whole project cost £8,000, which was a lot of money back then! People raised this money by donating.
During the rebuilding, a 12th-century arch and a piece of an old Saxon cross were put into the new church. However, the old wooden benches were replaced with newer, lighter ones. In 1897, the north wall was moved out by about 2.4 meters, making the north aisle wider.
St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building on July 12, 1985. This means it's a very important historical building.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built in a style called "perpendicular." It's made from local magnesian limestone and has a roof of Welsh slate. The church has a tall tower at the west end, a main area called the nave with aisles, a south porch, and a chancel with aisles. People have said it has "a fine show of buttresses, pinnacles and gargoyles." These are special stone supports, pointy decorations, and carved water spouts. As mentioned before, you can still find pieces of the old Norman church built into it.
The Tower and Its Bells
The church tower is square and has battlements at the top, like a castle. It was originally a bell tower. A clock was added to the tower before 1764. The church got a new clock with three faces in 1858, and the current one was put in place in 1887. The church has 8 bells today. They were remade in 1935 from an older set of 6 bells that dated back to 1760. The tower also has special spaces called niches where statues of saints used to stand.
Inside St Mary's Church
Inside the church, you'll see pointed arches supported by columns. There's also a lot of beautiful carved wood. This includes the pews (benches) from 1877, a pulpit (where the preacher stands) from 1912, and a screen in the St Nicholas chapel from 1915. The floor is made of black and white marble, added in 1903.
The large East Window above the altar is made of stunning stained glass. It was created by a company called Morris & Co.. Most of the design was done by Edward Burne-Jones, but some parts were designed by William Morris himself. The church organ is very old, dating back to 1833. It was built by Elliot and Hill and has been rebuilt three times since then.
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Inside the church
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The beautiful East window
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The organ and choir stalls
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The church pulpit
St Mary's Church Parish
The parish connected to St Mary's Church includes four churches in total. These are located in Tadcaster, Newton Kyme, Kirk Fenton, and Kirkby Wharfe.
