St Mary's Church, Hitchin

St Mary's Church, Hitchin

St Mary's, viewed from the south-west
St Mary's Church, Hitchin
Location in Hertfordshire
51°56′53″N 0°16′39″W / 51.94806°N 0.27750°W / 51.94806; -0.27750Coordinates: 51°56′53″N 0°16′39″W / 51.94806°N 0.27750°W / 51.94806; -0.27750
OS grid reference TF 18371 29183
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Previous denomination Roman Catholic
Churchmanship Central
Website stmaryshitchin.co.uk
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Administration
Archdeaconry Archdeaconry of St Albans
Diocese Diocese of St Albans
Province Province of Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s) Canon Michael Roden
Laity
Director of music Alan Childs

St Mary's Church, Hitchin is a Church of England parish church in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.

St Mary's Church is the largest parish church in Hertfordshire,[1] and is remarkably large for a town of the size of Hitchin—this has been cited as evidence of how Hitchin prospered from the wool trade.[1] The present church stands on the site of two previous churches and dates from the 14th and 15th centuries,[2] with its tower dating from around 1190.

During the laying of a new floor in the church in 1911, foundations of a more ancient church building were found. In form, they appear to be a basilican church of a 7th-century type, with a later enlarged chancel and transepts, perhaps added in the 10th century. This makes the church older than the story (not recorded before the 15th century) that the church was founded by Offa, king of Mercia (r. 757–796).

Gallery

Notes and references

References

  1. 1 2 Jones & Tricker 1992, p. 145.
  2. ↑ "History". stmaryshitchin.co.uk. St Mary's Church, Hitchin. Retrieved 3 August 2015.

Bibliography

  • Jones, Lawrence E; Tricker, Roy (1992). County Guide to English Churches. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1853061790. 

External links


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