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°WCoordinates: 51°56′53″N 0°16′39″W / 51.94806°N 0.27750°W | |
| OS grid reference | TF 18371 29183 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website |
stmaryshitchin |
| 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
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The Porch of St Mary's Church
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View from the side
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The Tower of St Mary's Church
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St Mary's church from the River Hiz
Notes and references
References
- 1 2 Jones & Tricker 1992, p. 145.
- ↑ "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.