St Mary's Church, Lichfield

Last updated

St Mary's Church, Lichfield
St Marys Lichfield 1.jpg
St Mary's Church, Lichfield
52°41′01″N1°49′39″W / 52.683561°N 1.827403°W / 52.683561; -1.827403
Location Lichfield, Staffordshire
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Architect(s) James Fowler
Style Gothic Revival
Completed1870
Specifications
Spire height55m
Materials Rock-faced Derbyshire sandstone with ashlar dressings
Administration
Province Canterbury
Diocese Lichfield
Parish Lichfield

St Mary's Church is a city centre church in Lichfield, Staffordshire England located on the south side of the market square. A church is reputed to have been on the present site since at least 1150 but the current building dates from 1870 and is a Grade II* listed building. The church was remodelled in the early 1980s and again in 1997-1999 and now serves a variety of purposes including Lichfield Library and Tourist Information on the ground floor, and on the top floor, The Hub at St Mary's is now home to a speciality coffee shop, art gallery, treasury exhibition and performing arts space.

Contents

History

Early Buildings

It is understood that the current St Mary's church is the fourth incarnation of the church on the site in the market square. It is thought that the first church on the site was built when the town was laid out by Bishop Clinton in around 1150 although first mention of it is in the 13th century. [1]

A fire in 1291 destroyed most of the town including its churches. [2] St Mary's was rebuilt in the 14th century. This medieval church consisted of an aisled chancel, an aisled nave, a west tower and a spire. [2] The tower is believed to have been built in 1356. [2] It was at this time that St Mary's achieved a special prominence in the city as the church of the guild of St Mary and St John the Baptist, founded in 1387 by the amalgamation of two existing guilds. This guild ran affairs of the city until 1538. [2]

From 17th century the north side of the church became the burial place of Anthony Dyott (d. 1662) and later members of the Dyott family, who were the owners of Freeford Manor. The present church has a chapel dedicated to the Dyotts at its northern end. [2]

The tower and spire of the medieval church consistently had structural failings over the years. The spire fell down in 1594 and 1626. Extensive repairs took place in the 17th century but it was to no avail when in 1716 it fell again. It was this collapse in 1716 which led to the rebuilding of the church, which began in 1716. [1]

The church register dates from 1566 and includes the entry of Samuel Johnson's baptism which would have taken place in the latter years of the medieval church. [3]

Neoclassical Style Building (1721–1868)

St Mary's in its previous classical form in the early 19th Century St Mary's Church Classical.jpg
St Mary's in its previous classical form in the early 19th Century
St Mary's during its transitional phase in 1860 St Marys Crossover.jpg
St Mary's during its transitional phase in 1860

The decision was made to demolish the medieval church in 1716. A new church designed by the architect Francis Smith of Warwick would be built in a neoclassical style. [2] The construction of the new church was funded by public subscription, the Conduit Lands Trust and the Lichfield Corporation. After five years of construction the church was completed in 1721. [2] These years of construction were probably overseen by Samuel Johnson who would have experienced his early childhood in the house facing onto the church. The church body was built in brick while the medieval tower was retained (without its spire) and encased in stucco. The new church consisted of a chancel, an aisled nave with north south and west galleries and a west tower. [2]

Extensive repairs were carried out in 1806 and 1820 under Joseph Potter the Elder (a prominent Lichfield architect). In 1820 the brick exterior of the body of the church was covered in stucco. [2]

By the mid 19th century there was much enthusiasm to rebuild the church in a Victorian Gothic style. A new building would also serve as a memorial to the former Vicar Rev. Henry Lonsdale, brother of Bishop Lonsdale who died in 1851 and was buried beneath the west tower. [3] In 1853 the tower was lowered and remodelled in a Victorian Gothic style, complete with steeple under a design by George Edmund Street. The architect also submitted a design for the main body of the church, but due to lack of funds rebuilding of the main church did not commence until 1868. [2] For the last 15 years of the neoclassical style church it consisted of a gothic tower with spire and neoclassical style main body encased in stucco, the body of the church was demolished in 1868 after standing for 147 years.

Present Building (1870 – present)

The present building built in Derbyshire sandstone was completed in a Victorian Gothic style after two years construction in 1870. The architect for the building was James Fowler of Louth, it is not known if he used any of G. E. Street's original designs. [2] The Lonsdale family met much of the cost towards the building. When complete the church consisted of a chancel, a chapel on its north side dedicated to the Dyott family, an aisled nave of four bays, and the tower and spire from 1853. By 1868 the lower part of the tower was dilapidated, much of it dating from the medieval church of the 14th century and was almost completely rebuilt. [2] Charles Bateman incorporated some colour decorations to the interior of the church in the early 20th century. [4]

The city centre population in Lichfield declined from the 1930s as people moved out to the suburbs and shops and businesses moved into the city centre. This inevitably led to a decline in congregation at St Mary's and a large city centre church with a capacity for 900 people was no longer viable. By the 1970s a committee was set up to save the historic building from abandonment and demolition. The proposal was to transform the space into a multi-functional building that would serve the community at the heart of the city. The church would have five sections, a social centre for senior citizens, a coffee shop, a gift shop, a heritage exhibition and the Dyott Chapel at the north end would remain as the parish church of St Mary for worship. [3]

Works started on the transformation of the church in 1978 under the design of Hinton Brown Langstone of Warwick. Construction work was completed in December 1980 and the new centre opened on 30 May 1981. [2]

During 2018, an award-winning £1.8 million renovation began. St Mary's reopened, refocusing their efforts on being home to everybody in the community. Downstairs houses the new Lichfield Library, where over 200,000 books are currently available. Upstairs, you will find a space that is used for community activities, events, musical gigs, performance arts and a host of other things. [5]

The former parishes of St Mary's and St Michael on Greenhill were joined to form a single parish with St Michael's as the parish church and St Mary's designated as a Chapel of Ease. Together with St John's at Wall it forms a group of churches known as the United Benefice. Occasional services take place in the Dyott Chapel at the north end of the church. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Redcliffe</span> Church in Bristol, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, widely known as St Mary Redcliffe, is the main Church of England parish church for the Redcliffe district of the city of Bristol, England. The first reference to a church on the site appears in 1158, with the present building dating from 1185 to 1872. The church is considered one of the country's finest and largest parish churches as well as an outstanding example of English Gothic architecture. The church is so large it is sometimes mistaken for Bristol Cathedral by tourists. The building has Grade I listed status, the highest possible category, by Historic England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall church</span>

A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an architectural basilica, where the nave is lit from above by the clerestory, a hall church is lit by the windows of the side walls typically spanning almost the full height of the interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Gothic architecture</span> Architectural style in Britain

English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed arches, rib vaults, buttresses, and extensive use of stained glass. Combined, these features allowed the creation of buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large stained glass windows. Important examples include Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral. The Gothic style endured in England much longer than in Continental Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Astbury</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in the village of Newbold Astbury, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and its architecture has been praised by a number of writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England</span> Architectural style of cathedrals in England during the middle ages, 1040 to 1540

The medieval cathedrals of England, which date from between approximately 1040 and 1540, are a group of twenty-six buildings that constitute a major aspect of the country's artistic heritage and are among the most significant material symbols of Christianity. Though diverse in style, they are united by a common function. As cathedrals, each of these buildings serves as central church for an administrative region and houses the throne of a bishop. Each cathedral also serves as a regional centre and a focus of regional pride and affection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Bridgwater</span> Church in Somerset, England

The ParishChurch of St Mary, more commonly known as St Mary's, is the main Church of England parish church for the town of Bridgwater, Somerset. Originally founded well before the Norman Conquest, the present church is a large and imposing structure dating primarily from the 14th and 15th centuries, with both earlier remains and later additions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, North Leigh</span> Church in Oxfordshire , United Kingdom

The Parish Church of Saint Mary, North Leigh is the Church of England parish church of North Leigh, a village about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield</span> Church in Staffordshire, England

St Michael on Greenhill is a parish church in Lichfield, Staffordshire in England, located on the high ground of Greenhill in the east of the city. A church has been on the present site since at least 1190 but the current building dates mainly from the restoration of 1842–43. The churchyard is one of five ancient burial grounds in England and is one of the largest churchyards in the country at 9 acres (36,000 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Peter and St Paul, Ormskirk</span> Church in Lancashire, England

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is in the market town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. Dating from no later than the 12th century, it is one of only three churches in England to have both a tower and spire, and the only one to have them both at the same end of the church. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Liverpool. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visby Cathedral</span> Swedish cathedral

Visby Cathedral, formally Visby Saint Mary's Cathedral, is a cathedral within the Church of Sweden, seat of the Bishop of Visby. It lies in the centre of Visby, the main town on the Swedish island Gotland. It was built as the church of the German traders in the city during the 13th century. The very first church was probably a wooden church, which was later replaced by a stone building. Originally built as a basilica, it was successively expanded and rebuilt during the Middle Ages. At the end of this period it had been transformed to a hall church, which it still is. In 1361, Gotland and the church became part of Denmark. Following the Reformation, it was the only medieval church in the city left in use, and in 1572 raised to the status of cathedral. Since 1645 Gotland and the cathedral have been part of Sweden. A major renovation was carried out in 1899–1903 under the guidance of architect Axel Haig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Magdalene's Church, Clitheroe</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Mary Magdalene's Church is located in Church Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire, England. It is the Anglican parish church of the town, and is in the deanery of Whalley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. The church, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin of Tours Church, Detling</span> Church in Kent, England

St Martin of Tours is a parish church in Detling, Kent. Dedicated to Martin of Tours, the building was constructed in the 12th century with 13th and 15th-century additions and restoration carried out in the late 19th century. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Cleobury Mortimer</span> Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church is on Church Street, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ludlow, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of six local parishes to form the Cleobury Benefice. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is notable for its shingled twisted spire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary, Haggerston</span> Destroyed church in London Borough of Hackney, UK

St Mary, Haggerston, was an Anglican parish church built to the designs of John Nash in 1827, in what is now the London Borough of Hackney. Built in the Gothic style of its time, it had an elaborate west front with a disproportionately tall tower. The rest of the church was, in comparison, rather plain. It was altered later in the 19th century by James Brooks as the first initiative of the Haggerston Church Scheme, and destroyed by bombs during the Second World War. The site is now a children's playground west of Haggerston Park, between Thurtle Road and Queensbridge Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Presbytery and Convent, Little Crosby</span> Church in Merseyside, England

St Mary's Church, Presbytery and Convent are in Back Lane, Little Crosby, Sefton, Merseyside, England. The church is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the diocese of Liverpool which was built in 1845–47. The presbytery and convent were both built in the 18th century, and altered in the 19th century. The convent originated as a chapel, and has since been converted into a private dwelling. Both the church and the former convent with its attached presbytery are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated Grade II listed buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Anglican Church, Maryborough</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

St Paul's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 178-202 Adelaide Street, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1878 to 1921. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Nicholas Church, Sutton, London</span> Church in England

St Nicholas Church, Sutton, is a Grade II* listed parish church in the centre of Sutton, London. It was built between 1862 and 1864 in the Gothic style with dressed flint and stone dressings. It was designed by the architect Edwin Nash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Rolleston on Dove</span> Church in Staffordshire, United Kingdom

St Mary's Church is a parish church of the Church of England in Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire. Parts of the structure date to 1130, though it was extensively renovated in 1892. It is unusual in having the main entrance door on the north side, with the southern entrance reserved for members of the Mosley family, local landowners and key donors to the church. The church features stained glass windows dating to the medieval period and others by Victorian designer Charles Eamer Kempe. The tower houses eight bells, one dating to 1586. The church is grade I listed and there are associated grade II listings for churchyard railings, a memorial, the lychgate and a former church grammar school. The lychgate, by Lincolnshire architect Cecil Greenwood Hare, also functions as a war memorial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Mary in the Baum, Rochdale</span> Church in Greater Manchester, England

The Church of St Mary in the Baum or Church of St Mary-in-the-Baum is a church in the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. Commissioned in 1738, and opened in 1742 as a chapel of ease, the chapel was extended in the 19th century. In the very early 20th century the church authorities determined to construct a new building and they commissioned Ninian Comper to undertake the task. Comper designed a completely new church to an unusual plan, due to the constriction of the urban site. He incorporated elements of the original chapel into the new design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Mary the Virgin, Uffculme</span> Church in Devon, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the main Church of England parish church for the village of Uffculme, Devon, England. First mentioned in a charter dating back to 1136, the present church has a mixture of medieval and Victorian architecture and is a Grade II* listed building. The church building is notable for its rood screen, the longest and oldest in the county, as well as its tall broach spire, a rare feature on churches in Devon.

References

  1. 1 2 Upton, Chris (2001), A History of Lichfield, Phillimore & Co Ltd, p. 10, ISBN   1-86077-193-9
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Greenslade, M.W. (1990), A History of the County of Stafford: Volume XIV: Lichfield, Victoria County History, ISBN   978-0-19-722778-7
  3. 1 2 3 Simkin, D.J. (1983), A Guide to some Staffordshire Churches, Curlew Countryside Publications, ISBN   0-9506585-2-9
  4. Ballard, Phillada (2009), Birminghams Victorian & Edwardian Architects, Oblong for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, ISBN   978-0-9556576-2-7
  5. "Citylife in Lichfield April 2019".
  6. St Mary's:Services , retrieved 5 September 2010