St Mary's Church, Stamford
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Stamford is a parish church
in the Church of England
, located in Stamford
, Lincolnshire, lending its name to St Mary's Hill (part of the Old Great North Road) on which it stands, and which runs down to the river crossing opposite The George Hotel
.
under instruction from Thomas Eayre. The spire was strengthened in 1913 using iron strapping.
One of the glories of St Mary's is the Corpus Christi Chapel (North Chapel). It is the earliest part of the church and has connections with an educational foundation that later became Stamford School
. The ceiling is one of the very few decorated medieval wagon vaults to survive.
The architect J. D. Sedding
added a vestry in 1890, the screens and a new altar as well as new decoration to the ceilings of the chancel and sanctuary. In 1921, a rood
was added atop the chancel screen in memory of those men of the parish who had lost their lives in World War One. A commemorative plaque recording this event and the names of the men who died is placed south of the pulpit.
In 1948, a screen was fitted to the Tower Arch in memory of all those who had served in World War Two.
" churches, the organ speaks across the chancel. This was the case at St Mary's until 1964 when part was turned through 90 degrees so that the organ now speaks into the nave as well as across the chancel.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, located in Stamford
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
, Lincolnshire, lending its name to St Mary's Hill (part of the Old Great North Road) on which it stands, and which runs down to the river crossing opposite The George Hotel
George Hotel, Stamford
The George Hotel is a former coaching inn on the route of the Great North Road in St Martin's Without near Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.-External links:*...
.
History
The church was built by the twelfth century, the tower in the thirteenth century and the spire in the fourteenth century. The spire was saved from collapse in 1741 by William StukeleyWilliam Stukeley
William Stukeley FRS, FRCP, FSA was an English antiquarian who pioneered the archaeological investigation of the prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, work for which he has been remembered as "probably... the most important of the early forerunners of the discipline of archaeology"...
under instruction from Thomas Eayre. The spire was strengthened in 1913 using iron strapping.
One of the glories of St Mary's is the Corpus Christi Chapel (North Chapel). It is the earliest part of the church and has connections with an educational foundation that later became Stamford School
Stamford School
Stamford School is an English independent school situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1920.-History:...
. The ceiling is one of the very few decorated medieval wagon vaults to survive.
The architect J. D. Sedding
J. D. Sedding
John Dando Sedding was a noted Victorian church architect, working on new buildings and repair work, with an interest in a ‘crafted Gothic’ style. He was an influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, many of whose leading designers studied in his offices...
added a vestry in 1890, the screens and a new altar as well as new decoration to the ceilings of the chancel and sanctuary. In 1921, a rood
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
was added atop the chancel screen in memory of those men of the parish who had lost their lives in World War One. A commemorative plaque recording this event and the names of the men who died is placed south of the pulpit.
In 1948, a screen was fitted to the Tower Arch in memory of all those who had served in World War Two.
Organ
The church has an organ dating from 1829 by Gray. Originally in a gallery at the west end, it was moved in 1852 to the end of the south aisle, site of the former Chapel of St Nicholas. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. A fully electronic action was added in 1964 during a major overhaul. In most "Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
" churches, the organ speaks across the chancel. This was the case at St Mary's until 1964 when part was turned through 90 degrees so that the organ now speaks into the nave as well as across the chancel.
List of organists
- 1898 - 1905: (John) Clare Billing (formerly organist of St. John's College, Lancashire)
- 1905-07: ?
- 1907 - ca. 1912: (John) Clare Billing (also organist of St Martin's Church, StamfordSt Martin's Church, StamfordSt Martin's Church, Stamford is a parish church in the Church of England located in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. The area of the town, south of the River Welland, was in Northamptonshire until 1889 and is called Stamford Baron or St Martin's.-History:...
, ???? - 1912 - 1921) - ca. 1921: H. S. Staveley