Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church
Encyclopedia
Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM) is a Catholic parish church located at the junction of Hills Road
and Lensfield Road
in south east Cambridge
, England
. The large Gothic Revival church was built between 1885 and 1890.
(later dismantled and re-built in St Ives
) remained the only chapel available for Cambridge Catholics until the construction of OLEM. In 1865, the parish priest Canon
Thomas Quinlivan acquired additional adjacent land, but the funds could not be raised for construction. With the aid of the Duke of Norfolk
, the entire Lensfield estate was purchased in 1879. The task of raising more funds fell to Quinlivan's successor, Mgr
Christopher Scott. On the Feast of the Assumption, 1884, the former ballerina Yolande Lyne-Stephens, widow of Stephens Lyne-Stephens
, reputed to be the richest commoner in England, offered to fund the £70,000 construction of a church on the site.
Building work began in 1885 following the plans of architects Dunn and Hansom, and the foundation stone was laid in June 1887. The construction of such a prominent Catholic church, as well as its dedication to the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
, caused much controversy among local Anglicans and members of the University
. Despite this, and the ill health of Mrs Lyne-Stephens, the church was completed and then consecrated on 8 October 1890. The first Mass was attended by all the bishops of England and Wales except for Cardinal Manning and Bishop Vaughan.
. Between 1922 and 1946, the church was used by the Cambridge Summer School of Catholic Studies.
In a 1941 air raid, a small bomb struck the sacristy, blowing a six-foot hole in the roof and another in the wall of the Sacred Heart
chapel. The blast also shattered most of the windows and collapsed part of the organ gallery. The repairs, including replacement windows to the original designs, cost at least £35,000.
for the plinth, and the remainder in Combe Down. The interior is constructed in Bath stone
, Plymouth marble and Newbiggin stone. The spire reaches 214 feet (65 m) and can be seen for a distance of several miles.
The stained glass windows depict, amongst other things, dedications of Cambridge Colleges and scenes from the lives of English martyrs, in particular St John Fisher. The belfry houses a ring of eight bells
hung for change ringing
, with a ninth for the Angelus
. All the bells were cast in 1895 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
.
in 1850, is supposedly the same statue that Cromwell ordered to be removed on 30 August 1538. However, experts disagree over the date of the craftsmanship, with the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments dating it as "mid-16th century".
Hills Road, Cambridge
This article is about the street. For the Sixth Form College commonly known as "Hills Road", see Hills Road Sixth Form CollegeHills Road is an arterial road in southeast Cambridge, England...
and Lensfield Road
Lensfield Road
Lensfield Road is a road in southeast central Cambridge, England. It runs between the junction of Trumpington Street and Trumpington Road to the west and the junction of Regent Street and Hills Road to the west...
in south east Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The large Gothic Revival church was built between 1885 and 1890.
Foundation
The first post-reformation Catholic church was opened in Cambridge in 1841; St Andrew's Catholic ChurchSacred Heart Church, St Ives
Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic church that serves as the parish church of St Ives, Cambridgeshire. It was originally designed and built by Augustus Pugin in Cambridge as St Andrew's Church, but was dismantled in 1902 and transported by barge to St Ives.-History:By the end of the 19th...
(later dismantled and re-built in St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
) remained the only chapel available for Cambridge Catholics until the construction of OLEM. In 1865, the parish priest Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
Thomas Quinlivan acquired additional adjacent land, but the funds could not be raised for construction. With the aid of the Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Baron Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist...
, the entire Lensfield estate was purchased in 1879. The task of raising more funds fell to Quinlivan's successor, Mgr
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Christopher Scott. On the Feast of the Assumption, 1884, the former ballerina Yolande Lyne-Stephens, widow of Stephens Lyne-Stephens
Stephens Lyne-Stephens
Stephens Lyne-Stephens was an English Tory politician who represented Barnstaple before the 1832 Reform Act. After inheriting a family fortune from glass manufacture in Portugal, he was later reputed to be the richest commoner in England.Lyne-Stephens was returned as Member of Parliament for...
, reputed to be the richest commoner in England, offered to fund the £70,000 construction of a church on the site.
Building work began in 1885 following the plans of architects Dunn and Hansom, and the foundation stone was laid in June 1887. The construction of such a prominent Catholic church, as well as its dedication to the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of men and women who were executed for treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1535 and 1679...
, caused much controversy among local Anglicans and members of the University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Despite this, and the ill health of Mrs Lyne-Stephens, the church was completed and then consecrated on 8 October 1890. The first Mass was attended by all the bishops of England and Wales except for Cardinal Manning and Bishop Vaughan.
History
After its opening, OLEM saw a great rise in the number of Catholics in the parish. This was partly due to Fr Robert Benson's reputation as a preacher, as well as Mgr Scott's work as parish priest. OLEM also hosted the 1921 Bible Congress, the greatest Catholic gathering in Cambridge since the ReformationEnglish Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. Between 1922 and 1946, the church was used by the Cambridge Summer School of Catholic Studies.
In a 1941 air raid, a small bomb struck the sacristy, blowing a six-foot hole in the roof and another in the wall of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
chapel. The blast also shattered most of the windows and collapsed part of the organ gallery. The repairs, including replacement windows to the original designs, cost at least £35,000.
Architecture
The building, one of the largest Catholic churches in the United Kingdom, is designed in the Gothic revival style and follows the traditional cruciform layout. It features a polygonal apse and a central lantern tower. The construction includes Casterton stone for the foundation, AncasterAncaster stone
Ancaster stone is Middle Jurassic oolitic limestone, quarried around Ancaster, Lincolnshire, England. There are three forms of this limestone, Weather Bed, Hard White and Freestone...
for the plinth, and the remainder in Combe Down. The interior is constructed in Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
, Plymouth marble and Newbiggin stone. The spire reaches 214 feet (65 m) and can be seen for a distance of several miles.
The stained glass windows depict, amongst other things, dedications of Cambridge Colleges and scenes from the lives of English martyrs, in particular St John Fisher. The belfry houses a ring of eight bells
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
hung for change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
, with a ninth for the Angelus
Angelus
The Angelus is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ The Angelus (Latin for "angel") is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus...
. All the bells were cast in 1895 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
Ancient statue
OLEM houses a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is believed to date from at least the 15th century. Although there is no conclusive evidence, the statue, which was discovered at Emmanuel CollegeEmmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
in 1850, is supposedly the same statue that Cromwell ordered to be removed on 30 August 1538. However, experts disagree over the date of the craftsmanship, with the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments dating it as "mid-16th century".