St Mary's Church, Woburn

St Mary’s Church, Woburn is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England[4]:164 in Woburn, Bedfordshire.

St Mary’s Church, Woburn
St Mary’s Church, Woburn
51°59′23.03″N 0°37′2.76″W
LocationWoburn
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Websitewoburnparishchurch.org.uk
History
Founder(s)8th Duke of Bedford
DedicationSt Mary the Virgin
Consecrated23 September 1868
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade II* listed[1]
Architect(s)Henry Clutton
Construction cost£30,000 (equivalent to £2,720,000 in 2019)[2].
Specifications
Length148 feet (45 m)
Nave width64 feet (20 m)
Height61 feet (19 m)
Administration
ParishWoburn
DeaneryAmpthill and Shefford[3]
ArchdeaconryBedford
DioceseSt Albans
ProvinceCanterbury

History

The church, on Park Street, Woburn, was built to the designs of the architect Henry Clutton between 1865 and 1868 and paid for by William Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford. It replaced the old parish church in the village which, except for the tower, was demolished when the new church opened.

The tower was equipped with a monster bell (said to be the largest in a parish church at the time) of 55 cwt (6,160 pounds (2,790 kg)), cast in C by Mears and Stainbank of London.[5]

On opening the church tower was surmounted by a spire which reached to a height of 181 ft. This was itself crowned with a copper cross at its summit, which took the total height to 195 feet (59 m). However, structural problems caused the removal of the spire in 1890.

The church was consecrated on 23 September 1868 by the Rt. Revd. Harold Browne, Bishop of Ely.

The east window was inserted in 1894 as a memorial to George Russell, 10th Duke of Bedford and is by Charles Eamer Kempe.

Organ

The original organ of 1868 by T.J. Robson was replaced in 1904 be a new instrument by Norman and Beard. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[6]

References
  1. Historic England, "Church of St Mary (1321663)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 December 2016
  2. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. "St Mary, Woburn". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  4. Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). The Buildings of England. Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300095814.
  5. "Woburn, Consecration of the New Church". Bedfordshire Mercury. British Newspaper Archive. 26 September 1868. Retrieved 11 December 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "NPOR N09368". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
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