St Mary's Church, Walsgrave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary the Virgin |
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| General information | |
| Status | Grade II* listed |
| Town or city | Coventry |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°25′29″N 1°26′38″W / 52.4246°N 1.4440°W |
| Completed | 1300 |
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is an old church in Walsgrave, a part of Coventry in England. It's a very important building, officially recognized as a Grade II* listed site. This means it has special historical or architectural value.
Contents
A Look Back: The Old Norman Chapel
Long ago, even before the current church, there was a Norman chapel here. It was built in Sowe sometime after the year 1086. The first time anyone wrote about this chapel was in 1221.
What's Left of the Norman Chapel?
Today, only a few pieces from that very old Norman chapel remain. You can still see the church's font, which is a basin used for baptisms. There's also a pillar capital, which is the top part of a column. Both of these pieces are made from red sandstone.
Building the Church of St Mary the Virgin
The main part of the Church of St Mary the Virgin was first built around the year 1300. Over many years, more parts were added. This happened during the medieval period (the Middle Ages), and also in the 1800s and 1900s.
Materials Used for Construction
The first church building was made from local red sandstone. Later, grey sandstone was also used for new sections. The tall tower of the church was added much later, in the 1400s. It's hard to see any of the very first church building today. It's possible the church was completely rebuilt in the late 1200s or 1300s.
Special Old Features
Some of the most interesting parts of the church are its medieval features. These include special windows from the 1300s and other old fittings. These parts help us understand what the church looked like centuries ago.
Changes to the Churchyard
In 1951, some big changes happened to the churchyard. The wall along the street was taken down. The ground inside the churchyard was made flat and sloped down towards the street.
Moving Graves
During this work, some coffins that were buried in the churchyard had to be moved. They were reburied on a local farm. The headstones, which are the stone markers for graves, were either placed upright against the south wall of the churchyard or laid flat around the church grounds.
