The parish of Saint Mary includes about a fourth part of the whole town, nearly the entire suburb of the Castle Foregate, and extends several miles into the country.
Within these sacred walls the Pope’s Legatees held their court in 1232, for the adjustment of the differences subsisting between Henry III. and Llewellin, Prince of Wales. In 1642, the unhappy Charles I., during his residence at the Council-House, attended divine service here, received the Sacrament, and made solemn protestations of his fidelity to the principles of the reformed religion.
This fine structure is cruciform, and consists of a nave, side-aisles, transept, chancel, two chauntry chapels, and a tower at the western end, crowned with a lofty and elegant spire. In the architecture three very distinct styles are conspicuous: the Anglo-Norman of the 12th century, in the basement of the nave, most of the doors, and other portions; the lancet style of the 13th century, in the chancel and transept; and the more obtuse arch of the 15th century, in the clere-story, side-aisles, chapels, &c. with a few trifling additions of later date.
The dimensions of the church are
| Feet | In. | |
| Length from east to west, including steeple | 160 | 0 |
| Length of transept | 90 | 0 |
| Breadth of nave and side-aisles | 50 | 0 |
| Height of steeple | 220 | 2 |
| Height of steeple from the level of the river | 300 | 0 |
Esteeming this ancient fabric to be the principal ornament of our town, we deem it necessary to add the following detailed description, which we trust will prove serviceable to the visitor in his attentive examination of the building.
The tower is broad and low, the basement of red stone, and the upper portion of grey, and of the Anglo-Norman and early pointed styles of architecture. The entrance is on the west side, through a plain pointed arch of the very earliest kind, springing from square jambs with regular impost mouldings, and having an internal arch, nearly triangular, inserted within the head. On the opposite eastern side, a very early pointed arch without mouldings, resting on short round Norman pillars with indented capitals, communicates with the nave. Two tiers of small round-headed windows pierce the lower stories, on all sides except the east. The upper story is lighted on each side by two united and handsome pointed windows, bisected by single mullions, forming quatrefoil heads, and divided by transoms in the middle. A facia, charged with roses, and terminating at the angles in projecting grotesque heads, ornaments the upper and lower portions of this story, which is finished with a plain embattled parapet, and crocketed pinnacles at the corners. From the summit of the tower rises an octagonal spire, “fine by degrees, and beautifully less,” pierced on alternate sides, with three tiers of tabernacled openings, and crowned with an open flower, cross and vane. In the tower is a peal of ten bells, the eight largest of which are extremely melodious. This beautiful tower and spire have been thoroughly repaired and restored at considerable cost, raised by subscription, under the superintendence of Mr. S. Pountney Smith, of this town, whose skill, judgment, and taste, in ecclesiastical architecture, are worthy of the highest praise.
The nave and side-aisles, externally in the pointed style of the 15th century, and of grey stone, are entered on the north and south-west by beautiful semicircular arches, adorned with chevron, lozenged, and foliated mouldings. Before the south-west entrance is an ancient porch, principally of Anglo-Norman architecture; the outer arch of which is circular, enriched with chevron mouldings, and issues from clustered columns with foliated capitals. The interior rib is obtusely pointed and unadorned. On each side is a small pointed window, exhibiting specimens of the earliest rudiments of the mullioned Gothic style, in which have been lately placed some highly interesting “roundels” of old painted glass, of German execution, on which are depicted various incidents, chiefly from the Apocrypha. The groined ceiling rests on two strong and plain ribs, crossing in the centre. Over this is a small chamber, with a plain pointed window.
A stone porch, entered by a pointed arch, has recently been erected before the corresponding door, on the north side.
The nave is separated from the side-aisles by four semicircular arches, overspread with deep-cut early Gothic mouldings, springing from elegant clustered columns with foliated capitals of varied and beautiful designs. This union of the round arch and clustered pillar, which belong to such different æras, is singular and very unusual in our ancient architecture. Above is a clerestory, which is continued along the walls of the chancel, lighted by short double windows, bluntly pointed, and bisected by single mullions.