St Mary's Church, Crewe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Crewe |
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St Mary's Church, Crewe, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SJ 702 557 |
| Location | St Mary's Street, Crewe, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St Mary, Crewe |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 14 June 1984 |
| Architect(s) | Pugin and Pugin |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1890 |
| Completed | 21 September 1891 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick with sandstone dressings Slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Shrewsbury |
St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church located on St Mary's Street in Crewe, Cheshire, England. It is a busy parish church that belongs to the diocese of Shrewsbury. The church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historic place.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
This beautiful church was built between 1890 and 1891. The famous architects Pugin and Pugin designed it. The church's tower was finished a little later than the main building.
Architecture and Design
St Mary's Church has a special look, built in a style called Gothic Revival. This style brings back the grand designs of medieval churches.
Outside the Church
The church is made from red bricks with red sandstone details, and it has a slate roof. Its design style is known as "Decorated Gothic," which means it has lots of fancy patterns.
The church's layout includes a long central area called a nave with five sections, and a row of windows high up called a clerestory. On each side of the nave are aisles. At the front, there's a chancel (the area around the altar) with a rounded end called an apse. There's also a tower on the southwest side.
The tower has strong supports called buttresses at its corners. It has a pointed, pyramid-shaped roof with small windows called lucarnes. The lower part of the tower has windows with geometric patterns. Above these, you'll see niches (small hollows in the wall) holding statues, with tall, narrow lancet windows on either side. The very top of the tower has openings with louvres (slats) for the bells.
The windows in the chancel and the front wall of the nave also have geometric patterns. The windows along the sides of the aisles have a different style of tracery (stone patterns) called "Perpendicular." The high windows in the clerestory are shaped like paired quatrefoils, which are designs with four leaves.
Inside the Church
When you step inside St Mary's, you'll see rows of arches, called arcades, supported by eight-sided pillars. The stone screen behind the main altar, called a reredos, is very ornate. It has a lot of gilding (gold decoration) and features many Gothic designs.
Above the main altar, there is a special canopy called a baldacchino, which is held up by marble columns. The main altar is flanked by two smaller altars on its sides. There are also more altars at the east ends of the aisles. A marble rail separates all these altars from the main seating area.
The church's organ is also very old and special. It was built in 1897 by a company called Gray and Davison.
More Information
- Listed buildings in Crewe
