St Mary's Church, Castle Street, Reading
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Castle Street is an episcopalian
church in the town centre of Reading
in the English
county of Berkshire
. It should not be mistaken for the rather similarly named but much older Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin
, which is only a few yards away. It is called 'St Mary's' because it is the chapel in the parish of St Mary, hence St Mary's Chapel.
In 1798, there was a disagreement between the Bishop and the congregation of St Giles' Church
in nearby Southampton Street. Many of the congregation left and founded a new chapel in Castle Street, on the site of Reading's old gaol. This chapel eventually became the Church of St Mary, Castle Street.
The church is a Grade II* listed building. The original 1798 building was a simple Georgian
building, but in 1840 the present hexastyle portico
in Corinthian
style was added by local architect and builder Henry Briant. The frontage is rendered in stucco
while the capitals of the portico are probably formed of Coade stone
.
The church has one of Reading's best church interiors, with a late 18th century gallery in 5 bays with marbled Doric
ground floor and Ionic
gallery columns. There is a modillion cornice
to the coved central ceiling and a small projecting chancel
with a bay for the mid 19th century organ
. The instrument, by Vowles of Bristol, is dated 1870, and was moved to St Mary's from Bristol in 1987. The church used to be lit by two mid 19th century cast iron
chandelier
s.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the town centre of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the English
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...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It should not be mistaken for the rather similarly named but much older Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin
Reading Minster
Reading Minster, or the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin as it is more properly known, is the oldest ecclesiastical foundation in the English town of Reading...
, which is only a few yards away. It is called 'St Mary's' because it is the chapel in the parish of St Mary, hence St Mary's Chapel.
In 1798, there was a disagreement between the Bishop and the congregation of St Giles' Church
St Giles' Church, Reading
St Giles' Church is a parish church in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.St Giles' was one of the three original parish churches, along with St Mary's and St Laurence's, serving the medieval borough of Reading...
in nearby Southampton Street. Many of the congregation left and founded a new chapel in Castle Street, on the site of Reading's old gaol. This chapel eventually became the Church of St Mary, Castle Street.
The church is a Grade II* listed building. The original 1798 building was a simple Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
building, but in 1840 the present hexastyle portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
in Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
style was added by local architect and builder Henry Briant. The frontage is rendered in stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
while the capitals of the portico are probably formed of Coade stone
Coade stone
Lithodipyra , or Coade stone, was ceramic stoneware that was often described as an artificial stone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used for moulding Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments that were both of the highest quality and remain virtually...
.
The church has one of Reading's best church interiors, with a late 18th century gallery in 5 bays with marbled Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
ground floor and Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
gallery columns. There is a modillion cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
to the coved central ceiling and a small projecting chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with a bay for the mid 19th century organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. The instrument, by Vowles of Bristol, is dated 1870, and was moved to St Mary's from Bristol in 1987. The church used to be lit by two mid 19th century cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s.