St Mary's Church, Lichfield
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church is a city centre church in Lichfield
, Staffordshire
in the United Kingdom
, located on the south side 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. The church was remodelled in the early 1980s and now serves a variety of purposes including a social centre for senior citizens, coffee shop and the Lichfield Heritage Centre
, a museum celebrating 2,000 years of the history of Lichfield. The church still operates for religious services in a small chapel at its northern end.
in around 1150 although first mention of it is in the 13th century.
A fire in 1291 destroyed most of the town including its churches. 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. The tower is believed to have been built in 1356. 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.
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.
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.
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.
would be built in a neoclassical
style. 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. 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.
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
.
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. 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. 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.
incorporated some colour decorations to the interior of the church in the early 20th century.
The city centre population in Lichfield declined from the 1930s onwards as more people moved out to the suburbs and shops and business’ 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.
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.
The former parishes of St Mary’s and St Michael’s 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
. Regular Sunday and Thursday services take place in the Dyott Chapel at the north end of the church.
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, located on the south side 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. The church was remodelled in the early 1980s and now serves a variety of purposes including a social centre for senior citizens, coffee shop and the Lichfield Heritage Centre
Lichfield Heritage Centre
Lichfield Heritage Centre is a museum dedicated to the history and heritage of the city of Lichfield. The museum is located on the south side of the market square on the second floor of St Mary's Church in the centre of Lichfield, Staffordshire in the United Kingdom.The museum was opened by the...
, a museum celebrating 2,000 years of the history of Lichfield. The church still operates for religious services in a small chapel at its northern end.
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 ClintonRoger de Clinton
Roger de Clinton was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He was responsible for organising a new grid street plan for the town of Lichfield in the 12th century which survives to this day.-Life:...
in around 1150 although first mention of it is in the 13th century.
A fire in 1291 destroyed most of the town including its churches. St Mary’s was rebuilt in the 14th century. This medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church consisted of an aisled chancel, an aisled nave, a west tower and a spire. The tower is believed to have been built in 1356. It was at this time that St. Mary's, achieved a special prominence in the city as the church of the guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
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.
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
Freeford Hall
Freeford Manor is a privately owned 18th century country house at Freeford, near Lichfield, Staffordshire. It is the home of the Dyott family and is a Grade II listed building....
. The present church has a chapel dedicated to the Dyotts at its northern end.
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.
The church register dates from 1566 and includes the entry of Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
s baptism which would have taken place in the latter years of the medieval church.
Neoclassical Style Building (1721-1868)
The decision was made to demolish the medieval church in 1716. A new church designed by the architect Francis Smith of WarwickFrancis Smith of Warwick
Francis Smith of Warwick was an English master-builder and architect, much involved in the construction of country houses in the Midland counties of England...
would be built in a neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style. 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. 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.
Extensive repairs were carried out in 1806 and 1820 under Joseph Potter the Elder
Joseph Potter (architect)
Joseph Potter , was an English architect and builder from Lichfield, Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. Potter has a considerable practice in Staffordshire and its neighbouring counties in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Potter lived in Pipehill south west of Lichfield and had...
(a prominent Lichfield architect). In 1820 the brick exterior of the body of the church was covered in stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
.
By the mid 19th century there was much enthusiasm to rebuild the church in a Victorian Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. A new building would also serve as a memorial to the former Vicar Rev. Henry Lonsdale, brother of Bishop Lonsdale
John Lonsdale
The Right Reverend John Lonsdale was the third Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Lichfield....
who died in 1851 and was buried beneath the west tower. In 1853 the tower was lowered and remodelled in a Victorian Gothic style, complete with steeple under a design by George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. 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. 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. 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. Charles BatemanCharles Bateman
Charles Edward Bateman FRIBA was an English architect, known for his Arts and Crafts and Queen Anne-style houses and commercial buildings in the Birmingham area and for his sensitive vernacular restoration and extension work in the Cotswolds.- Life and career :Bateman was born in Castle Bromwich,...
incorporated some colour decorations to the interior of the church in the early 20th century.
The city centre population in Lichfield declined from the 1930s onwards as more people moved out to the suburbs and shops and business’ 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.
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.
The former parishes of St Mary’s and St Michael’s 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
Wall, Staffordshire
Wall is a small village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, just south of Lichfield. It lies on the site of the Roman settlement of Letocetum.The nearby junction of the A5 and A5127 roads and the M6 Toll motorway is often referred to as Wall junction....
it forms a group of churches known as the United Benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
. Regular Sunday and Thursday services take place in the Dyott Chapel at the north end of the church.