St Mary's Church, Huntingdon facts for kids
St Mary's Church is a historic church found in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. Many people believe it was the very first or "Mother Church" of Huntingdon. It stands on what was likely the original spot of the Huntingdon Priory. This priory was a religious house started in 1140 by a person named Eustace de Lovetot. The church probably began as a local church for the area after the priory moved to another part of town during the time of King Henry II.
Sadly, the original church building collapsed in July 1607. But don't worry, work on the church you see today started quickly in March 1608. It was completely finished by 1620. Later, in 1869, a special room for the organ and a vestry (a room for clergy robes) were added. More improvements were made in 1876. Because of its importance, St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade I listed building in January 1951. This means it's a very important historical building.
Church Design and Features
The church has several main parts. These include the chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit), and aisles (passageways on the sides). It also has a south porch and a tall tower on the west side. The church's style is called Perpendicular Gothic. This was a popular building style in England a long time ago.
You can see fancy stone decorations like pinnacles (small pointed towers) and buttresses (supports on the outside walls). Inside, the nave is separated from the aisles by four arches on each side. These arches are held up by round and octagonal (eight-sided) columns. Some parts of the church, including the chancel, show older styles like Early English and Decorated Gothic.
There is a stone pulpit, which is a raised stand where sermons are given. This pulpit was a gift from John Montagu, 7th Earl of Sandwich. The font, used for baptisms, is also very old. It has a simple eight-sided bowl resting on a group of smaller columns.
Restorations and Special Gifts
The entire church building was carefully repaired and updated in 1876. During this time, new wooden seats were added for everyone. A beautiful new window with three parts was put in at the east end of the church. This window was a gift from Gerald Vesey, who was an important church leader in Huntingdon.
Also, eight new bells were installed in the church tower. These bells were a gift from M. E. Maill. All these improvements were managed by an architect named Reginald Blomfield. The work cost over £2,000, not including the special gifts.
Inside the church, you can find a monument to the De Carcassonett family, put up in 1749. There's also a special memorial placed by the officers of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment. This monument remembers their friends who bravely fought in the Crimean War. The church has enough seats for about 550 people. The oldest records of St Mary's Church date all the way back to the year 1593.
