St Mary’s Church in Warwick marks 900 years with the publication of a new book and series of talks

There will be talks throughout the month.
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St Mary’s Church in Warwick is marking 900 years with the publication of a new book about some of its rich history and a series of talks.

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“Faire and Goodly Built – an incomplete history of St Mary’s Warwick” is the story of the collegiate church until its rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1694.

A book and a series of talks are being held to mark the 900th anniversary of St Mary's Church in Warwick. Photo by George GulliverA book and a series of talks are being held to mark the 900th anniversary of St Mary's Church in Warwick. Photo by George Gulliver
A book and a series of talks are being held to mark the 900th anniversary of St Mary's Church in Warwick. Photo by George Gulliver
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The book marks the 900th anniversary of St Mary’s being founded as a collegiate church.

Author Tim Clark, who is also a volunteer guide at the church, launched the book on April 27 at the start of the series of ‘History 900’ talks.

In the book, Tim discusses the many influences on St Mary’s and what makes it unique.

He takes readers through Warwick’s history, from 1086 with mention of St Mary’s in the Domesday Book to completion of the rebuilding of St Mary’s after the Great Fire.

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Tim explains how the history of St Mary’s was intertwined with the earls of Warwick for over three centuries and how fortunes ebbed and flowed as a consequence of their ambitions and attitudes.

The book discusses the social as well as religious revolution of the 16th century and how St Mary’s provides insight into the consequences of those transformations.

The book can be purchased from St Mary’s church and online from the publishers Brewin Books Ltd.

All profits from the book are for the restoration of St. Mary’s Tower.

Upcoming talks:

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~ May 4 – Waking the dead: The medieval tombs of St Marys with Nigel Saul (£8 and includes a book discount)

Nigel is emeritus professor of history at Royal Holloway College, University of London. He is also an author, and his works include the definitive biography of Richard II.

~ May 11 – Warwick Castle in the Civil Wars with Andrew Hopper (£8 and includes a book discount)

Warwick Castle was a parliamentary stronghold in the Civil Wars of 1641 to 1652, and a centre for the spread of radical religious beliefs.

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What role did it play at this time, and how did that affect the town and the surrounding area? Andrew Hopper will be discussing these questions, drawing on his latest research.

Andrew is professor of local and social history at the University of Oxford. He is a leading authority on the Civil Wars, and one of the academic directors of the National Civil War Centre at Newark. He frequently appears on television including a recent episode of the BBC2 series, Digging for Britain.

~ May 25 – Reflections of British Medieval art with Andrew Graham-Dixon (£12 and includes a book discount)

Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon has presented several television series, including Art, Passion and Power: the story of the Royal Collection for the BBC, and is the author of A History of British Art, a biography of Caravaggio, and many other books.

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Andrew believes that British medieval art is unfairly neglected in comparison with continental Europe and will be showcasing its quality. His talk will include the Beauchamp Chapel at St Marys.

Tickets for the talks can be bought at St Marys Church, Warwick Visitor Information Centre and at Leamington Visitor Information Centre in the Royal Pump Rooms.

Tickets can also be bought online at: https://warwickdc.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows or by calling: 01926 33 44 18

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