St Mary and All Saints' Church, Kidderminster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's, Kidderminster
St Mary and All Saints, Kidderminster
St Mary's church, Kidderminster
52°23′25.11″N 2°15′2.83″W / 52.3903083°N 2.2507861°W / 52.3903083; -2.2507861
Location	Kidderminster
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/18775/
History
Dedication	St Mary All Saints'
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Designated	20 October 1952
Specifications
Length	215 feet (66 m)
Floor area	1,028 square metres (11,070 sq ft)
Administration
Parish	Kidderminster Ismere
Deanery	Kidderminster
Archdeaconry	Dudley
Diocese	Diocese of Worcester

St Mary and All Saints’ Church in Kidderminster, England, is a very old and important church. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it is considered a building of special historical interest. It belongs to the Church of England.

History of St Mary's Church

This church has been around for a very long time. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. The main parts of the church you see today were built in the 1400s and 1500s.

In 1641, during the English Civil War, a famous preacher named Richard Baxter became the minister here. He was chosen by the community to lead sermons.

Over the years, the church has been updated many times.

• In 1847, new entrances were made, and some old parts like the western galleries were removed. New wooden seats were added.
• An organ room was built in 1874.
• The church tower was repaired and refaced between 1893 and 1895.
• A special area called the Whittall Chapel was added in 1921-1922 by a famous architect, Giles Gilbert Scott.
• More changes were made inside the church in the late 1900s.

St Mary and All Saints is the main church for the town of Kidderminster. It is part of a group of local churches.

The Church Organ

In 1846, the church decided to get a new organ. The old one was blocking the view of a window. They also wanted a new organ to help a choir sing during church services. A new organ, made by George Holdich, was first played in 1848.

Since then, the organ has been rebuilt and improved many times. Today, it is a large pipe organ with three keyboards and pedals. The beautiful wooden case around the organ was added in 1927-1928 by Giles Gilbert Scott. You can find details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.

There is also a smaller pipe organ in the Whitall Memorial Chapel.

Organists of St Mary's

Many talented musicians have played the organ at St Mary's over the years. Here are some of them:

Church Bells

By 1774, St Mary's Church had a set of 8 bells. Some of these bells were made in 1754. In 1856, one of the bells broke and was recast (remade) in London.

In 1881, a big storm damaged the church tower. During the repairs, new floors were put in for the bells and for the clock. A new frame was built to rehang the bells. Three new bells were added, which could play carillon tunes. These tunes played every three hours. The clock also got new Westminster chimes, like those at Big Ben.

Today, the tower has a set of 12 bells. They were made in 2003 and officially dedicated in 2004. The heaviest bell weighs about 2,856 pounds (1,295 kg).

The Church Clock

A new clock was made for the church in 1828. It was a large clock, with a pendulum that weighed 100 pounds (45 kg) and was 13 feet (4.0 m) long! It only swung 30 times per minute. Another clock face was added to the west side of the tower.

In 1852, the clock was repaired. Someone was even paid a salary to wind the clock regularly. However, the clock didn't work very well. So, in 1856, a new clock was installed. This new clock was designed to strike the quarter hours. The old clock was given to St John's Church, Kidderminster.

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