St Mary's Parish Church, Slough
| St Mary Parish Church, Slough | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 51°30′24″N 0°35′40″W / 51.50676°N 0.59455°WCoordinates: 51°30′24″N 0°35′40″W / 51.50676°N 0.59455°W | |
| Location | Slough |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stmarys-slough.org.uk/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Architectural type | Gothic |
| Completed | 1876 - 1878 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Upton cum Chalvey |
| Diocese | Oxford |
St Mary's Parish Church is a red brick gothic style Church of England parish church in the parish of Upton cum Chalvey in the borough of Slough and the county of Berkshire in England. Built between 1876-8 to a design by John Oldrid Scott and partly funded through a personal donation by Queen Victoria.[1] it was again enlarged in 1911 - 1913,[2] it is protected as a grade II* listed building.[3] The grounds contain the grade II listed war memorial[4] by the west door of the church, inscribed with over 300 names of the dead from Slough in the first and second world wars. The walls and gated of the church yard are also protected grade II listed features.[5] The church is located centrally in the parish, serving the Slough town centre. The church is liked to two schools in the area, Saint Mary's Church of England Primary School[6] and Slough and Eton Church of England Secondary School.[7] The building regularly plays host to musical concerts, often including accompaniment on the organ[8]
Organ
The church contains a pipe organ in the English Romantic style,[9] built in 1912 by Norman and Beard. It features 3 manuals, 37 stops and over 2400 pipes. It is pitched to the French diapason. At its dedication it was played by noted organist and composer Sir Walter Parratt.
Bells
The church tower is home to a ring of 10 bells,[10] the tenor weighing 17½ cwt.[11] The original bells were cast in 1619 by Richard Eldridge, of which only one survives. The 9 newer bells were all cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the last 2 being added after the others as memorial donation in 1949.
Notable People
- A stained glass window was designed in 1915 for St Mary's by artist and poet Alfred Wolmark.
- The church hosted the funeral of Letty Lind in 1923.
- A lost work of Eric Fogg, The Seasons, was re-scored and performed at St Mary's Church on 13 September 2003 to celebrate the centenary of Fogg’s birth.
References
- ↑ Slough History Online
- ↑ The History of Slough, Maxwell Fraser, Slough Corporation, 1973, PP.142-3.
- ↑ Historic England official listing entry of the church
- ↑ Historic England official listing entry of the war memorial
- ↑ Historic England listing of gates and walls
- ↑ St Mary's CE Primary School website
- ↑ Slough and Eton Secondary School website
- ↑ Musical events at St Mary's
- ↑ Organ details
- ↑ Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
- ↑ Bells and Ringing at St Mary's