St Mary's, Studley Royal

The Church of St Mary, Studley Royal, is a Victorian Gothic Revival church built in the Early English style by William Burges.[1] It is located in the grounds of Studley Royal Park at Fountains Abbey, in North Yorkshire, England. Burges was commissioned by the First Marquess of Ripon to build the church as a memorial church to Frederick Grantham Vyner, his brother in law. It is one of two such churches, the other being the Church of Christ the Consoler at Skelton-on-Ure.

St Mary's
Church of St Mary, Studley Royal
St Mary's, Studley Royal
St Mary's
Location in North Yorkshire
54°07′07″N 1°34′49″W
LocationStudley Royal, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
History
Founded1871-8
Architecture
Heritage designationListed building - Grade I
Architect(s)William Burges
Architectural typeGothic Revival
StyleEarly English

History

Frederick Vyner had been murdered by Greek bandits in 1870. A significant ransom had been demanded, and in part collected, before his death. His mother, Lady Mary Vyner, and his sister, Lady Ripon, used the unspent ransom to build the two churches in his memory. Burges' appointment as architect was most likely due to the connection between his greatest patron, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, and Vyner, who had been friends at Oxford. St Mary's, was commissioned in 1870 and work began in 1871.[2] The church was consecrated in 1878.[3]

Architecture and description

The chancel

As at Skelton, Burges's design demonstrates a move from his favoured Early-French, to an English style. Pevsner writes of "a Victorian shrine, a dream of Early English glory".[1] The interior is spectacular, exceeding Skelton in richness and majesty. The stained glass is of particularly high quality. Burges used many members of his usual architectural team: the sculpture is by Thomas Nicholls, the glass was designed by Frederick Weekes and constructed by Saunders & Co.[4] St Mary's is Burges' "ecclesiastical masterpiece".[5] The church is a Grade I Listed Building.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. Pevsner 1967, p. 504.
  2. Crook 2013, p. 203.
  3. Crook 2013, p. 204.
  4. Historic England (6 March 1967). "CHURCH OF ST MARY - 1315267 (1315267)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  5. "Church of St Mary, Lindrick With Studley Royal And Fountains". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 19 February 2012.

References

  • Crook, J. Mordaunt (2013). William Burges and the High Victorian Dream. Frances Lincoln Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7112-3349-2. OCLC 788236063.
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus (1967). Yorkshire: The West Riding. The Buildings of England. London: Penguin Books.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.