St Mary's Church, Beverley

St Mary’s Church in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, is a magnificent example of English ecclesiastical architecture and a beacon of historical and cultural significance. This Anglican parish church, with its stunning Gothic features and rich history, is a must-visit for anyone interested in the architectural and religious heritage of Great Britain.

The Origins and Early History

St Mary’s Church was founded in the first half of the 12th century as a daughter church of the Beverley Minster. It was established to serve the growing trading community of Beverley. The church's layout is cruciform, stretching to an impressive 60 meters in length, featuring a nave, choir, a south transept with an eastern aisle, a north transept with an eastern chapel and underlying crypt, a northeast chapel with an adjoining sacristy, and priest rooms above, as well as a central tower.

Although the church has undergone numerous modifications, fragments from the 12th and early 13th centuries are still visible, indicating the original structure. By the mid-13th century, the church consisted of a single-aisle choir and transepts, a double-aisle nave, and likely a central tower.

Architectural Evolution

The systematic reconstruction of St Mary’s began in the late 13th century. A significant addition during the Decorated Style period was a large chapel on the east side of the north transept. Around 1300, a south aisle was added to the previously single-aisle choir, and the eastern aisle of the south transept was widened. The early 14th century saw a complete rebuild of the nave aisles.

One of the architectural highlights from this period is the northern aisle of the choir, which was transformed into a splendid chapel with flowing tracery and a star vault. The intricate design seamlessly integrates the tracery, windows, vaults, and pillars, creating a unified and visually stunning space. The vault ribs on the north wall rise from the floor as fluted columns without capitals, while those on the south wall emerge from column capitals that intersect with and run through the arcade cornices.

Interruptions and Resumptions

The construction work on St Mary’s was halted mid-14th century due to the Black Death, a common occurrence in England at the time. It resumed around 1400 with the rebuilding of the west front in the Perpendicular Style and the addition of an upper storey to the nave. The early 15th century saw the addition of a south porch and a clerestory for the choir. The transepts were fitted with clerestories in the mid-15th century, reusing early Gothic arches set on new pillars.

By the late 15th and early 16th centuries, several finely crafted wooden ceilings were installed, for which the building is renowned. The most famous is the ceiling in the choir, originally from the mid-15th century but completely repainted in 1863, featuring depictions of forty English kings from the mythical Brutus to Henry VI, and a portrait of George VI added in 1939.

Disasters and Rebuilds

On April 29, 1520, during an evening service, the central tower collapsed, causing significant destruction to the eastern end of the nave. The walls of the nave, however, remained largely intact. The central tower, nave arcades, and upper storey were entirely rebuilt. The clerestory windows, dating from around 1400, appear to have been reused despite the extensive damage from the collapse.

Reconstruction began immediately after the collapse, with dates of 1524 inscribed on the east and west ends of the south arcade. William Rokeby, Archbishop of Dublin and a Yorkshire native, left £200 in his will for the rebuilding efforts. Inscriptions on the corbels of the north arcade pillars commemorate donors, including merchant John Crossley and his wife, the good women of Beverley, and the minstrels, five of whom are depicted as statues on corbels on their pillar.

Modern Restorations

The 19th century saw extensive restorations of St Mary’s Church, with significant work done by architects such as William Comins, A. W. N. Pugin, E. W. Pugin, Cuthbert Brodrick, and George Gilbert Scott. The latter was responsible for re-furnishing the nave and chancel.

In 2020, a restoration of the masonry began, including the replacement of some weathered stone carvings with new figures inspired by characters from C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. In 2021, as part of a program to honor women, new stone figures of nine notable women, including pilot and engineer Amy Johnson and aviation engineer Hilda Lyon, were added. Other figures include Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Seacole, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Helen Sharman, Ada Lovelace, and Queen Elizabeth II.

The Organ

The church’s organ has a storied history. An organ built by Donaldson of York was installed in 1792, funded by voluntary subscriptions. In 1869, Forster and Andrews built a new organ with a richly carved oak case and finely decorated pipes. The same firm added a detached console in 1889 and converted the organ to a pneumatic action. In 1908, Lewis & Co of London completely rebuilt the organ, discarding the previous oak case. The local firm Hall & Broadfield overhauled the organ in 1954, replacing the pneumatic action with an electro-magnetic one and expanding it to a four-manual instrument. The rebuilt organ, with 74 stops, was inaugurated in 1957.

St Mary’s Church in Beverley stands as a testament to centuries of faith, craftsmanship, and community spirit. Its rich history and stunning architecture make it an essential visit for anyone exploring the heritage of East Riding of Yorkshire.