St Mary the Virgin, Wellingborough
St Mary the Virgin, Wellingborough
St Mary the Virgin is a Grade I parish church on Knox Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in the Diocese of Peterborough. It is among the few twentieth-century churches listed at Grade I.
- Location
- Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
- Country
- England
- County
- Northamptonshire
- City / town
- Wellingborough
- Address
- Knox Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1HJ
- Postcode
- NN8 1HJ
- Built
- 1908–30
- Architect
- Sir Ninian Comper
- Denomination
- Church of England
- Dedication
- Mary
- Diocese
- Peterborough
- Parish
- St Mary the Virgin, Wellingborough
- Grade
- I
- Style
- Perpendicular Gothic
- Materials
- Ironstone ashlar with limestone dressings and lead roof
- Grid reference
- SP 901 680
- Opening hours
- The church is not usually kept open, so in order to avoid disappointment please contact us before your visit. Church Guide : Jackie Cartwright 01933 226197 Honorary Assistant Priest : Fr Alan Cole 01933 274650 or [email protected] Churchwarden : Carol Haybyrne 07759 591673 or [email protected] Keys are also usually available at 30 St Mary's Paddock, or from the Vicarage at 193 Midland Road.
- Access
- Accessible toilets nearby. Level access to the main areas
Overview
Historic England records a church of 1908 to 1930 by Sir Ninian Comper, in ironstone ashlar with limestone dressings and a lead roof: aisled nave and chancel, north and south chapels, north porch and west tower, all in Perpendicular style. The east window has reticulated tracery. The interior has an eight-bay arcade and a fine plaster lierne vault with pendants, partly painted blue and gold. Comper designed all interior and exterior details.
The Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record notes that St Mary’s parish was formed by Order in Council on 12 December 1904 from All Saints, and that building was completed by 1924. Financing was largely due to the Misses Sharman of Wellingborough. Wikipedia records Anglo-Catholic churchmanship and influence from the Oxford Movement. Comper described the interior as uniting many European styles within a Perpendicular frame — his idea of “unity by inclusion”.