St Mary's Church, Luton
| St Mary's Church | |
|---|---|
St Mary | |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Specifications | |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Bells | 12 |
| Tenor bell weight | 25cwt 0qt 24lb (1281kg) in D |
| Administration | |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Albans |
| Archdeaconry | Bedford |
| Deanery | Luton |
| Parish | Luton |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Rev. Mike Jones |
St Mary's Church is an
History
Original church
The site of St Mary's has been the centre of worship for people in the area for over 1,000 years, and a church was built in about 930 AD by
times and the church was very richly endowed.12th century
The current church was built by Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester in 1121 and consecrated in 1137. The original structure of the church was a cruciform without aisles, but with the increases in population, the north and south aisles were added within 40 years of each other around the start of the 13th century.
14th century
This was a time of great extension to the church, with a tower being built,
15th century
A lot of
In addition to the Wenlock Chapel there is also the Hoo Chapel, the Rotheram family[2] monuments and the Barnard Chantry chapel.[3]
19th and 20th centuries
Again, in this time,
The Friends of St Mary's
Much of the funding for the building has come from the Friends of St Mary's Luton who have raised over £1 million since 1965.
Clock of St Mary's
The clock itself was installed in 1901, and faced west across the town. Described as a Cambridge quarter clock with an eight day movement, it was constructed by J.W. Benson[4] at a cost of £200. The quarters were chime on the second, third, fourth and seventh bells, and the hours struck on the tenor bell, weighing close to 17 cwt.
However, after two overhauls in 1909 and 1949, which included the installation of a new bell, the clock's mechanism's seized and gave up in 1979. The bell was not heard for 28 years, until the University of Bedfordshire (formerly of Luton), decided to offer to help restore the clock, ready for the new year and the millennium. The university owned buildings next to the church and decided it was time to restore the clock to its former glory. The clock was officially re-opened on 11 November 1999, Armistice Day.
Present day
St Mary's currently stands in the
The area next to St Mary's Church (Power Court) has been due to be renovated for years. Currently Luton Town Football Club have proposed to develop the site with a stadium and other facilities. The project has been granted planning permission and is due to be completed eventually.
Architecture
The architecture of St Mary's is varied as the church has been renovated and rebuilt many times, but the basic layout is that of a cruciform, with north–south aisles and many chapels and extensions in various directions heading off the main church. The total length of the church is 53 metres (174 ft), the total width is 17 metres (56 ft), and the height is 27 metres (89 ft).[6] The outside of the church is clad in a distinctive flint and stone chequer, which makes the church stand out in the town.
The graveyard in the direct vicinity of the church is no longer used, but a cemetery that covers most of St Anne's hill, the Luton Church Cemetery, is about a mile from the church, heading up to Crawley Green.
References
- ^ "Our Building". St Marys Luton. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Rotheram, George (1541–99)". History of Parliament.
- ^ "St Mary's Church, Luton". British Listed Buildings.
- ^ "New Parish Clock and Chimes for Luton". Luton Times and Advertiser. England. 8 November 1901. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "St Mary, Luton". A Church Near You. Archbishops' Council. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "Genuki". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
External links
