St Mary Abchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary Abchurch |
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The interior of St Mary Abchurch
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| Location | London, EC3 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Churchmanship | Traditional Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Architect(s) | Sir Christopher Wren |
| Style | Baroque |
| Years built | 1681–1687 (rebuilt after the Great Fire of London, 1666) |
St Mary Abchurch is an old Church of England building in London. It's a special place of worship dedicated to the Virgin Mary. People first wrote about this church way back in 1198. The original church was sadly destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. After that, the church you see today was built in its place.
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History of St Mary Abchurch
A Look Back: The Old Church
The first church on this spot was built in the 1100s. It was named after the Virgin Mary. The extra name "Abchurch" might have come from an early priest's name. Some people used to think it meant "Upchurch" because it was on higher ground. But old records don't support that idea.
For a long time, the church was supported by a group of nuns from Southwark Cathedral. Later, it was looked after by a college called Corpus Christi. After a big change in the church called the Reformation, Elizabeth I gave the church to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. This college has chosen the church's priest ever since.
The old church was fixed up and made beautiful in 1611. But then, the Great Fire of London in 1666 completely destroyed it.
Building the New Church
The church was rebuilt by a very famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. This happened between 1681 and 1686. Wren was in charge of rebuilding many churches after the Great Fire.
The area around St Mary Abchurch was joined with another church's area. That other church, St Laurence Pontney, was also destroyed in the fire. But it was never rebuilt.
Damage and Repairs
During World War II, a bomb hit the church in September 1940. This was during the London Blitz, a time when London was bombed a lot. The biggest damage was to the church's dome.
Workers repaired the church between 1948 and 1953. The dome was fixed by E. W. Tristan. After he passed away in 1952, another artist named Walter Hoyle finished the work. Many people thought the beautiful altar-piece inside the church was broken into many pieces. But it was actually moved to a safe place during the war. The church was officially named a Grade I listed building on January 4, 1950. This means it's a very important historic building.
Outside the Church
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The outside of the church is made of red bricks with stone decorations. It has a tall tower that is 51 feet high. On top of the tower is a spire covered in lead.
The church was first planned to be much bigger. It was going to look similar to St. Stephen Walbrook. But for reasons we don't know, it was built smaller. Robert Hooke helped supervise the building work.
Inside the Church
The ceiling of the church is shaped like a shallow dome. It has four oval openings that let in light. These openings look almost round from the outside. The dome is supported by plain brick walls and stretches over 40 feet wide.
The dome was painted in 1708 when the whole church was being repaired. The artist was most likely William Snow. He was a member of the Painter-Stainers' Company and lived near the church. The church's records show payments to a "Mr Snow" for £170.
The paintings are done directly on the plaster. They are divided into two parts by a painted border that looks like a real ledge. Above this border, you can see angels and cherubs surrounding a golden light. In the center of the light is the name of God in Hebrew. Below the border, there are eight female figures painted in one color. They look like sculptures. People have different ideas about what these figures mean. The painting was restored a few times before it was completely rebuilt and repainted after World War II.
The church has a pulpit made by William Grey. The door frames, a cover for the font (a bowl for baptisms), rails, and the Royal Arms were made by William Emmett. The large altar-piece is a famous work by Grinling Gibbons. Gibbons' original bill for this piece was found in 1946.
You can see a gilded "Pelican in her piety" design in the church. This is the symbol of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. It appears on the altar-piece and on the original weather vane. The weather vane was made by Robert Bird and was moved to sit over the north door for safety. You can also see the original tall box pews on three sides of the church.
The church did not have an organ until 1822. People donated money to have one built by J.C. Bishop. This organ was badly damaged during World War II. A new organ was made in the 1950s by N. P. Mander. It used the old organ casing from 1717, which once belonged to All Hallows, Bread Street.
The remains of Peter Perchard, a former Lord Mayor of London, and his family are buried at St Mary Abchurch.
See also
