St Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church, Warwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Immaculate, Warwick |
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St Mary's Church from West Street
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 St Mary Immaculate, Warwick
Location in Warwickshire
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| 52°16′43″N 1°35′30″W / 52.2785°N 1.5916°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP 2796064565 |
| Location | Warwick, Warwickshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | https://www.stmary-immaculate.org.uk/ |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 24 February 1993 |
| Architect(s) | E. W. Pugin |
| Style | Decorated Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Birmingham |
St Mary Immaculate is a Roman Catholic church located in Warwick, England. It is found on West Street, just outside the old West Gate of the town. This church is an important part of the Warwick community and has a rich history.
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St Mary Immaculate Church
This beautiful church first opened its doors on May 12, 1860. It was designed by Edward Welby Pugin, who was the son of another famous architect, Augustus Pugin. The church is built using red brick and a special kind of stone called Bath stone.
Church Style and History
The church's design is in the Decorated Gothic style. This means it has many fancy details and tall, pointed arches, typical of churches built in the Middle Ages. St Mary Immaculate is also a Grade II listed building. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
It was one of the first churches in England to be named after the Immaculate Conception. This is a special belief in the Catholic Church. The church was officially made sacred, or "consecrated," on June 15, 1939. It was the first permanent Catholic church built in Warwick.
Famous Connections
St Mary Immaculate Church has a cool connection to a very famous author! During the First World War, J. R. R. Tolkien got married here. He wrote many popular books, including The Lord of the Rings.
Tolkien married Edith Mary Bratt in this church on March 22, 1916. In July 2018, a special blue plaque was put up to remember their marriage.
School Links
The church is closely connected to St Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School. The school was first located in the building right next to the church, which was built in 1905. This old school building is now used as the church hall. Since 1973, the school has been in a much bigger place next to Priory Park.
Special Features
The church has many interesting parts inside. These include beautiful stained glass windows, special paintings, and old bells.
Beautiful Stained Glass
The church has amazing stained glass windows that tell stories.
- The three windows in the middle of the east side of the church were made in 1861 by a company called Hardman & Co.
- The large round window on the west side, above the gallery, was designed in the 1960s. It shows Christ the King surrounded by eight smaller windows of saints.
- All the other stained glass windows were designed by a French artist named Tony (Antoine) Dury. He lived and worked in Warwick.
The Sanctuary and Font
The sanctuary is the main area around the altar.
- A painting of "Our Lady of Perpetual Succour" is in the center of the sanctuary. This painting and 18 other round pictures were created in 1893 by Thomas Fisher Norman.
- The stone font, used for baptisms, has two brass plates from 1860. These plates remember John and Elizabeth Norman, who were Thomas Fisher Norman's parents.
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross are a series of 14 paintings. They show different moments from the last day of Jesus's life. These paintings are on canvas and are set into decorated spaces in the church walls. They were painted by Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen and were put in the church in 1897.
Church Bells
The church has a bell turret behind the west end. It is a wooden structure with a slate roof and an iron cross on top. There is also a stone cross in front of it. Another iron cross is on the east end of the church.
Records from Taylor's of Leicester, a bell-making company, show that the main bell was made in 1860 by John Murphy of Dublin.
Hall Bell
The church hall also has a bell in its bellcote (a small tower for a bell). This bell has "John Taylor & Co" written on it, along with the words "Ave Maria." Taylor's records show this bell was ordered in 1904. It was 15 inches wide and weighed about 114 pounds. Taylor's company restored this bell in 2019.
