and the Friends of Great St Mary's
History and The Friends of Great St Mary's
We invite you to look at our church.
As well as being a vibrant place of
worship, the church building has a long history and priceless
architectural heritage.
Famous local families, including the Chauncey's,
the Jocelyn's, the Wiseman's and the Leventhorpe's are remembered in
this building through its memorials and monumental brasses.
The Friends of Great St Mary's are a group dedicated to raising funds for looking after the church building. For more details of the Friends, CLICK HERE.
Great St Mary's was built from
flintstone and mortar on a site that is believed to go back to pre-Domesday
times (11th Century).
In the base of the tower is a
'Pudding Stone' which indicates that this had previously been an ancient
pagan site of worship which had been adopted/converted to Christianity.
The churchyard contains a memorial to those who died in the two Great Wars. Amongst the gravestones can be found that of Joseph Vick, who was one of the few survivors of the valliant six-hundred who "rode into the valley of death" in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War in 1854.
About the bells - click here to find out more
The church may have had royal connections. It is sometimes said that Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn worshipped here. Anne Boleyn was certainly granted the Manor of Pishiobury by her husband Henry VIII in 1534 so it is within the realms of possibility.
Here is the view of the church
from the south side, showing the entrance porch.
Click on the door
in the picture to go in:
