St. Mary's Church, Ryde
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Church, Ryde is a Catholic Church in the parish of Ryde
on the Isle of Wight
. The parish was created in the 19th century when the Countess of Clare built St. Mary's Church.
and is often regarded as one of the finest early Victorian Catholic churches in England. It was the first church in England to be dedicated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was consecreated by Bishop Thomas Grant of Southwark in 1863. The church has a private chapel, once used by the foundress, the Countess of Clare, which is situated above the sacristy. Mass is occasionally offered here. It also has a crypt which is now a shop, tea room and mini museum. It is the only church crypt on the Isle of Wight which is open on a regular basis. Stained glass windows were added to the church between 1860 and 1880.
Guided tours of the church can be arranged. Apply to the parish office. Tel 01983 812127
Further information can be obtained from the parish web site www.stmarysryde.org
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The parish was created in the 19th century when the Countess of Clare built St. Mary's Church.
History
St. Mary's Church was built in 1846 by Elizabeth, Countess of Clare, (grand daughter of the last Duke of Ancaster) at a cost of £18,000. It was designed by Joseph HansomJoseph Hansom
Joseph Aloysius Hansom was a prolific English architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style, who invented the Hansom cab and was one of the founders of the eminent architectural journal, The Builder, in 1843....
and is often regarded as one of the finest early Victorian Catholic churches in England. It was the first church in England to be dedicated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was consecreated by Bishop Thomas Grant of Southwark in 1863. The church has a private chapel, once used by the foundress, the Countess of Clare, which is situated above the sacristy. Mass is occasionally offered here. It also has a crypt which is now a shop, tea room and mini museum. It is the only church crypt on the Isle of Wight which is open on a regular basis. Stained glass windows were added to the church between 1860 and 1880.
Guided tours of the church can be arranged. Apply to the parish office. Tel 01983 812127
Further information can be obtained from the parish web site www.stmarysryde.org