St Mary’s Church, Cricklade – a Heritage in Trust
The Catholic community in Cricklade, North Wiltshire are particular
fortunate in their place of worship. Since 1984 the medieval church of
St Mary’s has been leased from the Anglican Diocese of Bristol, and it
now serves a flourishing congregation. It is one of the very few
medieval churches in the care of the Clifton Diocese.
St Mary’s, along with a small historic cemetery (now closed) and a fine preaching cross, stands at the north end of the High Street in Cricklade. There is good reason to believe that it may be Saxon in origin. A Saxon charter of 1008 documents how this area of the town was donated by King Aethelred the Unready to the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s at Abingdon, near Oxford. It may be that the dedication of the church dates to that time, meaning that the church is nearly 1000 years old. The earliest surviving fabric in the church is, however the Norman chancel arch of the 12th century. Subsequent continues changes and alterations can be traced in the variety of arch and window styles, the use of different stone, and the alignment of the walls. The church was enthusiastically restored in the 1860’s, bequeathing a legacy of fine box pews and the tower clock, now restored to working order.
The Catholic congregation in the town developed from the mid 20th century onwards, particularly involving those who moved to the area to work on nearby military airfields, during the Second World War and later, or who were associated with the Catholic school at Prior Park. The community used a variety of buildings for worship, including old airfield buildings, until 1984 when St Mary’s was leased to the Clifton diocese by the Anglican church. St Mary’s now forms part of a parish including Fairford and Lechlade in Gloucestershire. This wider communion had meant that St Mary’s has been able to provide a suitable home for devotional works of art from other congregations in the area in particular a fine crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary from the former convent of St Clothildes in Lechlade.
Maintenance of a historic building such as St Mary’s is a continual challenge. To assist the Diocese in this work a Friends organisation was established in June 1998 by Father Richard Barton, then the parish priest. As well as local Catholic members, the Friends actively encourage local residents from other denominations who share our love for the building to assist with its care. The ‘Friends of St Mary’s Church, Cricklade’ exists to raise funds and promote the restoration and improvement of the church. It organises fund-raising events such as regular Open Days and mini-fetes, as well as taking part in national events such as the Heritage Open Days every September. Volunteers are organised to assist projects such as the work involved in the restoration of the fine Edwardian embroidered altar frontal. Grants from local and national charities and government agencies are actively investigated. The Friends have also gratefully acknowledges many generous donations. These funds have been used to improve the facilities in the church such as heating, and contribute to restoration work.
An award-winning web-site has been set up by the Friends, where you can find photos, a ‘virtual tour’ of the church, details of the parish registers, and much more about the history of this fine church and the community it serves, along with details of forthcoming events and contact details for the Friends.
Edmund Lee, Friends of St Mary’s Church Cricklade
Useful URL : http://welcome.to/friendsofstmarys
St Mary’s, along with a small historic cemetery (now closed) and a fine preaching cross, stands at the north end of the High Street in Cricklade. There is good reason to believe that it may be Saxon in origin. A Saxon charter of 1008 documents how this area of the town was donated by King Aethelred the Unready to the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s at Abingdon, near Oxford. It may be that the dedication of the church dates to that time, meaning that the church is nearly 1000 years old. The earliest surviving fabric in the church is, however the Norman chancel arch of the 12th century. Subsequent continues changes and alterations can be traced in the variety of arch and window styles, the use of different stone, and the alignment of the walls. The church was enthusiastically restored in the 1860’s, bequeathing a legacy of fine box pews and the tower clock, now restored to working order.
The Catholic congregation in the town developed from the mid 20th century onwards, particularly involving those who moved to the area to work on nearby military airfields, during the Second World War and later, or who were associated with the Catholic school at Prior Park. The community used a variety of buildings for worship, including old airfield buildings, until 1984 when St Mary’s was leased to the Clifton diocese by the Anglican church. St Mary’s now forms part of a parish including Fairford and Lechlade in Gloucestershire. This wider communion had meant that St Mary’s has been able to provide a suitable home for devotional works of art from other congregations in the area in particular a fine crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary from the former convent of St Clothildes in Lechlade.
Maintenance of a historic building such as St Mary’s is a continual challenge. To assist the Diocese in this work a Friends organisation was established in June 1998 by Father Richard Barton, then the parish priest. As well as local Catholic members, the Friends actively encourage local residents from other denominations who share our love for the building to assist with its care. The ‘Friends of St Mary’s Church, Cricklade’ exists to raise funds and promote the restoration and improvement of the church. It organises fund-raising events such as regular Open Days and mini-fetes, as well as taking part in national events such as the Heritage Open Days every September. Volunteers are organised to assist projects such as the work involved in the restoration of the fine Edwardian embroidered altar frontal. Grants from local and national charities and government agencies are actively investigated. The Friends have also gratefully acknowledges many generous donations. These funds have been used to improve the facilities in the church such as heating, and contribute to restoration work.
An award-winning web-site has been set up by the Friends, where you can find photos, a ‘virtual tour’ of the church, details of the parish registers, and much more about the history of this fine church and the community it serves, along with details of forthcoming events and contact details for the Friends.
Edmund Lee, Friends of St Mary’s Church Cricklade
Useful URL : http://welcome.to/friendsofstmarys
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