St Mary's Church, Marlborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's, Marlborough |
|
|---|---|
| Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
_(October_2023)_(2).jpg) |
|
 St Mary's, Marlborough
Location in Wiltshire
|
|
| 51°25′18″N 1°43′46″W / 51.4218°N 1.7295°W | |
| OS grid reference | SU189692 |
| Location | Marlborough, Wiltshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Years built | 12th, 15th–17th centuries, 1874 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. Mary the Virgin with St. Peter and St. Paul |
| Deanery | Marlborough |
| Archdeaconry | Wilts |
| Diocese | Salisbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church is a special church in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. It's part of the Church of England.
You can find it at the east end of Marlborough's main street. This church is very old, started in the 1100s! It had to be partly rebuilt after a big fire in 1653. Later, it was made bigger in 1874. It's so important that it's a 'Grade I listed building', which means it's a historic treasure.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Marlborough had two churches mentioned way back in 1091. By 1223, the bishop of Salisbury looked after both St Mary's and St Peter's churches. St Mary's served the eastern part of the town. St Peter's, at the other end of the High Street, served the western part.
The Church Building
The church is built from strong stone blocks and rough stone. The tower is made of smooth stone. If you look closely at the west wall of the tower, you can see a doorway from the 1100s. Inside, there are even older stone pieces from the 1000s.
How the Church Changed Over Time
The tall tower was added in the 1400s. Around that time and into the early 1500s, the side sections of the church were rebuilt and made larger.
A huge fire hit Marlborough in 1653. It destroyed the church's roof and everything inside. The fire also damaged the old Norman arches. After the fire, the north side of the church was joined with the main area. The south side was rebuilt with five rounded arches. These arches are quite interesting to look at.
Galleries were added to the main part of the church in 1707. The area where the altar is, called the chancel, was rebuilt in 1873-1874. This work was designed by a famous architect named G.E. Street. After the First World War, the south chapel was fixed up as a special memorial. More repairs happened between 1955 and 1957.
The Church Bells
The tower has eight bells. One bell is from 1653, and two others are from the 1700s. The seventh and eighth bells were made in 1969. They were cast from the old bells of St Peter's church, which were no longer used. St Mary's Church was officially named a Grade I listed building in 1949.
St Mary's Parish
In 1924, the two Marlborough churches, St Mary's and St Peter's, joined together. Then, in 1952, their church areas (parishes) also combined. This created the parish of Saint Mary the Virgin with Saint Peter and Saint Paul. St Peter's church was later closed in 1974. It is now used as a community center and a place for events.
Today, the Marlborough Anglican Team looks after this parish. They also serve St George's church in Manton and St John the Baptist church in Mildenhall.
