St Mary's Church, Derby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
South face of the Church
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Country |  England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.stmarysparish.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Dedicated | 9 October 1839 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | A. W. N. Pugin |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 4 July 1838 |
| Completed | October 1839 |
| Construction cost | £1400 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Nottingham |
St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in the city of Derby, England. It's a very special building, known as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's historically important. The church stands on Bridge Gate, looking over St Alkmund's Way. A famous architect named A. W. N. Pugin designed this church. Some experts say it's one of the few churches he designed completely from start to finish.
Contents
The Church's Story
How St Mary's Church Began
The idea for St Mary's Church came from Augustus Pugin in 1837. He wanted to replace an older, smaller church nearby. This new design was Pugin's first big project using his Gothic Revival style. This style brought back the look of old medieval churches.
Pugin first planned for the church tower to have a tall, 100-foot (30-meter) spire. However, there wasn't enough money to build it. His final design was ready by March 1838. Construction started that same year, with the first stone laid in July 1838.
The church was finished by October 1839. A special dedication service took place on October 9, 1839. Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman gave a sermon at this event. The total cost to build the church was £1,400. Pugin himself gave the church a wooden sedilia, which are special seats in the sanctuary area.
Changes Over the Years
About eight years later, in 1847, another church called St Alkmund's Church was rebuilt. It was located right across from St Mary's. The new St Alkmund's was so large that it blocked the view of St Mary's from King Street.
In 1850, a small chapel was added to St Mary's. It was dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Later, a statue of Mary was placed on the tower and lit up at night, becoming a local landmark. This statue has since been removed.
In 1927, parts of the church were repaired. Workers found that dampness had damaged much of the plasterwork. St Mary's was made a bit larger in 1932 when the Lady Chapel was built. Several new stone pieces were also added inside and outside the building.
Modern Times and Restoration
The late 1960s brought big changes to Derby. St Alkmund's Church and its churchyard were taken down. This happened to make space for a new inner ring road. For the first time in 120 years, St Mary's Church was fully visible again.
Between April 1988 and September 1989, the church was closed for a major update. A new set of bells was added during this time. Another restoration project happened in the late 1990s. This included fixing the roof of the Lady Chapel. The inside and outside of the church were also thoroughly cleaned.
In 2007, a footbridge called the Saint Alkmund's Way Footbridge was replaced. This bridge helps people cross the inner ring road, the A601 (St Alkmund's Way). The new bridge was wider and cost £1.3 million.
Inside St Mary's Church
-
The Nave
-
The Chapel
More to Explore
- Grade II* listed buildings in Derby
- Listed buildings in Derby (northern area)
