St Mary Magdalene, Yarm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yarm Parish Church |
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 Yarm Parish Church
Location in North Yorkshire
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| 54°30′36″N 1°21′29″W / 54.510°N 1.358°W | |
| OS grid reference | NZ 41633 12914 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church/Liberal Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary Magdalene |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Yarm |
| Deanery | Stokesley |
| Archdeaconry | Cleveland |
| Diocese | York |
| Province | York |
St Mary Magdalene Church is a special place of worship in the town of Yarm, North Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Church of England and is named after Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus. The current leader of the church is Reverend Darren Moore.
This church building is actually the third one to stand on this spot! The very first church was made of wood, built by the Anglo-Saxon people a long time ago. No parts of it are left today. Later, a stone church was built in the late 1100s, in the Norman style. Sadly, it burned down in 1728. The church you see today was built in 1730, using some of the stones from the old Norman church. It is built in the Georgian style.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Ancient Discoveries
We know there was a church here very early on because of something called the Trumbert Shaft. This is a piece of a stone cross with writing on it. It was found in Yarm in 1877.
The writing on the shaft talks about "Trumberhet, Bishop." He was a bishop in the year 681 AD. This tells us that someone important was buried in Yarm a very long time ago, around the late 600s or early 700s.
The Norman Church
The first stone church was built by the de Brus family in the late 1100s. You can still see parts of this old building today. The lower part of the tower and the west end of the current church are from this original stone church.
A strong, fortified tower was added in the 1200s. It was later rebuilt in the 1600s.
The Georgian Church
In 1728, a big fire badly damaged the Norman church. It cost a lot of money to rebuild it. People from all over England helped by donating money.
Even King George II allowed churches to collect money for the rebuilding. This was so successful that the new church was finished by 1730. They used many stones from the old church, which was a clever way to save resources.
In 1878, the church was made bigger and improved. This was done by a famous building company called Paley and Austin.
Over time, the stone of the Georgian part of the church has become weaker. This is due to its age and air pollution.
Today's Church
On June 23, 1966, St Mary Magdalene Church was given a special status as a grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building.
The church is part of the "broad church" tradition within the Church of England. This means it welcomes a wide range of Christian beliefs. The churchyard is no longer used for new burials, but there is a special area for ashes.
Inside the Church
Lady Chapel
The Lady Chapel is a special part of the church. It was updated in memory of Leslie Leech. The Archbishop of York, David Hope, officially dedicated it in 2003.
Beautiful Windows
The church has many amazing stained glass windows.
- South Aisle Windows: These windows show stories from the Old Testament.
* One shows God testing Abraham. * Another shows Moses getting the Ten Commandments. * A third shows the prophet Elijah calling down fire. * The large Moses window is the oldest and most beautiful. It was made in 1768 by William Peckitt of York. It used to be in a different part of the church but was moved in 1879.
- North Aisle and East End Windows: These windows show stories from the New Testament.
* You can see Christ's Baptism. * There's a window showing the Crucifixion. * Others show Christ loving children and Christ as the Good Shepherd. * There are also windows depicting the Resurrection, the Last Supper, and the Ascension.
- West End Windows: In the west end of the nave, there are two small round windows.
* One has a dove, which represents the Holy Spirit. * The other has a Lamb carrying a flag, which represents Jesus Christ.
- Vestry Window: The Vestry has a window from the 1900s. It shows the three Marys meeting an angel at the tomb on the first Easter Day.
Decorations and Art
Above the door to the vestry, there used to be an old oil painting of the Holy Family with young John the Baptist. This painting was removed in 2015. It has been replaced with a modern stained glass artwork showing Christ rising from the tomb.
On the left side of the Ascension window, there is an old copy of a Della Robia plaque. It shows the Virgin and Child. This plaque was found in the ruins of a French cathedral during the First World War. It is thought to be from around 1800.
Around the walls, you can see framed pictures of the Stations of the Cross. On the pillars, there are small shields with church symbols. In the Sanctuary, there is a Tudor bishop's mitre (a special hat). This mitre shows that the Archbishop used to be the Rector of Yarm until 1865.
Church Furnishings
The pews (church benches), pulpit, clerk's desk, and choir stalls were all added in 1878. They are in the Renaissance style. The High Altar was made in 1940 from pews that were removed from the South aisle.
The Altar rails were made by a famous Yorkshire craftsman named Robert (Mousey) Thompson. He was known as the "Mouseman of Kilburn" because he carved a tiny mouse into all his work. These rails were given in 1948 in memory of Mary Clapham and her son John Geoffrey, who died in the Second World War. You can find the dedication and the little mouse carved on the Sanctuary side of the rails.
The Font is a large, eight-sided bowl made of Tees marble. It is thought to have been made in the 1400s.
The Organ
When the church was rebuilt in 1730, the organ was placed on a balcony at the west end. In 1852, this balcony was removed, and the organ was moved to the east end of the north aisle.
The current organ was bought in 1910. It has 1134 pipes and 27 different sounds, called "stops."
The True Lovers
Near the west wall, set into the floor, is the cover of a tomb from the 1400s. It has carvings of a man and a woman lying down, a bird (like an eagle), and a seated figure. There's also some writing that suggests the tomb was reused in 1638.
We don't know who the original people in the tomb were, but they must have been important. Because their names are a mystery, they became known as The True Lovers. A nearby path by the river is even called "True Lovers' Walk."
Church Bells
The church has three bells.
- The oldest bell is from 1664 and weighs about 150 kg. It has a Latin inscription that means "Son of God, have mercy on me."
- The next oldest bell is from 1710 and weighs about 175 kg. Its inscription means "I sound as much as I am worth."
- The smallest bell weighs about 125 kg. It was remade in 1861 because it had cracked. It has the names of the churchwardens from that year.
Churchyard
In the churchyard, there is a modern headstone for Tom Brown, known as "The Valiant Dragoon." He was a hero from a battle in 1743 and died in 1746. He was buried in an unmarked grave, but now he has a memorial.
A short distance away, there is a stone marking where the original Free Grammar School of Thomas Conyers used to be. This school was founded in 1590.
Images for kids
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The church building from the outside.
