St Mary's Church, Hay-on-Wye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary the Virgin |
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| Location | Hay-on-Wye |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Architect(s) | Edward Haycock Sr., et al. |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Swansea and Brecon |
St Mary's Church, also known as St Mary the Virgin, is an Anglican church located in Hay-on-Wye, a town in Powys, Wales. It sits on a hill near the River Wye, separated from the town by a deep valley. This valley might have once been a moat, like a ditch around a castle.
There was an older church nearby, called St John's. It was used as a school in 1684. Around 1700, part of that building fell down and was never fixed. After that, people started using St Mary's Church instead. St Mary's was rebuilt and made bigger in 1884. A local church leader, Reverend Humphrey Allen, helped a lot with this project. The church building has a main hall (nave), a special area for the altar (chancel), and a tower at the back with one bell.
Contents
Discovering St Mary's Architecture
St Mary's Church has a main hall (nave) and a chancel, which is the area near the altar. At the west end of the church, there is a square tower with a top that looks like battlements on a castle. The main hall has a ceiling and a balcony on the north and west sides. The church building is strong but simple. Its style is like the Gothic churches built in the early 1800s, but with a focus on being practical.
The tower is very old, except for the top part that was rebuilt. Even though it leans a little, it is still in good condition. In the mid-1800s, the inside and outside of the church were repaired. This was thanks to Canon W. Latham Bevan and the people who attended the church.
Changes and Improvements Over Time
Improvements started in 1866-1867 with a new porch at the main entrance. The chancel was made larger by adding a curved section. An organ room and a changing room for the clergy were also added. At the same time, a small arch that separated the chancel from the nave was removed. Three new Gothic arches were put in its place. These new arches made the chancel open up to the full width of the main hall, creating more space for seats.
The church's pulpit is shaped like an octagon. It is made from beautiful alabaster and marble. The bottom part has arches and stands on shiny marble pillars. The top part has panels with special shapes called quatrefoils. Inside these shapes are small pictures of Jesus and the four writers of the Gospels. Around the pulpit, there is an inscription. It says that Francis Robert Trumper built it to honor God and remember his wife, Emma, and her mother, Fortune Higgins.
In the 1870s, the old church benches (pews) were taken out and replaced with open seats. The tall front of the balconies was also changed to a lighter, more decorative design. This work was finished in 1873-1874.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
Three stained glass windows in the curved part of the chancel were given by Mr. Trumper to remember Emma Meredith. Today, the church has several beautiful stained glass windows. One shows Scenes from the Passion of Christ and was made around 1870. Another window, called Abraham, was created by artist Arthur J. Dix in 1906. It is on the south wall of the main hall, next to the pulpit. There is also a "Virgin and Child" window from around 1950 on the north wall.
Church Fittings and Special Items
The church used to have a silver cup (chalice) for communion that is very old, probably from around 1575. It has a rough engraving that says "Our Lady Paris of the Haia," which means "Our Lady, Parish of Hay." In 2010, a pipe organ from the Victorian era was placed in the west balcony of the church.
Monuments and Important People
Before the church was rebuilt, there was a tombstone inside, near the communion table. It marked the graves of several members of the Gwynn family. This stone is still kept in the church. It has a special design at the top and a border of vines and leaves. The inscription on the stone talks about Thomas Gwynn, his son Howell, and his daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth Gwynn was a very kind and generous person. She started a home for six poor people in Hay and gave money to help them forever. She passed away on May 12, 1702.
Inside the church, there is a stone carving that looks like a monk. People in the area often call it Moll Walbee. This name comes from a historical figure named Maud de St. Valeri. The story about Moll Walbee is also told in the history of Hay Castle.
The Church Bell
In 1886, St Mary's Church had only one bell. When the church tower was rebuilt in 1884, the wooden supports for several bells were removed. The bell has an inscription around it that says, "We move thee to God's glory." It also has the initials "W.E." and the date 1740. The initials likely belong to William Evans, a bell maker from Chepstow who worked around 1732. People in the area believe the bell was brought to Hay by a boat that used to transport wood and tree bark on the River Wye. Many of these boats traveled from Chepstow. The original set of bells were probably sold or melted down to make the single bell that is there today.
Church Grounds and History
The churchyard of St Mary's is small and shaped like a triangle. It used to be surrounded on two sides by deep valleys or ravines. The valley on the east side has a small stream flowing through it and is called the Login. Some writers think this valley was originally used as a moat. The hollow on the west side of the churchyard was partly filled in when the church was rebuilt.
In 1886, a writer noted that the churchyard had many interesting old sayings (epitaphs) on its tombstones, like those found in other country churchyards. Outside the north wall of the church, there is a path made from old tombstones. These stones were moved from inside the church, where they had been used as flooring. Many of these stones have dates from the late 1700s, and one is dated 1694.
