St Mary's Church, Mirfield
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St Mary's Church is the
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
of the town of
Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road (Great B ...
in
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The current building is a large
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
structure designed by
Sir George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...
, replacing an older structure, the tower of which still survives a short distance from the present building. These structures form Mirfield's most prominent landmark and both are listed for preservation by
Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...
, the old church tower as Grade II and the present building as Grade II*. The church is notable for its Victorian architecture, medieval remains and a surviving 11th-century
motte-and-bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...
castle mound located within the grounds."Castle Hall, Mirfield"
''West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service.'' Retrieved 29 December 2021.
The church has been on the
Heritage at Risk Register An annual ''Heritage at Risk Register'' is published by Historic England. The survey is used by national and local government, a wide range of individuals and heritage groups to establish the extent of risk and to help assess priorities for acti ...
since 2013 due to substantial works required to repair the building.


History


Medieval church

The first parish church at Mirfield is believed to have been built in the late 13th century; until that time residents of Mirfield had to travel to
Dewsbury Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, ...
to worship. Little is known about this early building, as the only surviving remains are the lower part of the old church tower, however the upper part of the old tower is clearly later, featuring
Perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', ⟠...
tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support th ...
, which implies the tower was heightened in the 15th or 16th centuries. This church replaced an earlier chapel located within the nearby castle.


Second church (1826–1871)

By 1826, the parish had a population of more than 5,000 souls and the medieval church was too small for a growing industrial town, so the body of the church was demolished and rebuilt, the new church adjoining the old tower. A 13th-century pillar from the medieval church was saved from demolition and preserved in the vicarage garden.Pevsner, Nikolaus. "The Buildings of England, Yorkshire: The West Riding". pp. 369–70. The architect of this church is unknown, but surviving photos indicate it was a short, wide structure of six bays in the Georgian style.


Present church (1871–present)


Construction and consecration

This second church did not last until even the end of the century, because in 1865, money began to be raised for its replacement. Distinguished architect Sir George Gilbert Scott designed the replacement and the foundation stone was laid on Easter Monday, 1869. The construction of the church was overseen by Messrs. W. & J. Milner of Mirfield; the old church continued to be used whilst the new was under construction. Construction began on a site slightly to the north-west of the 1826 church and progressed rapidly. Funds were provided for the construction both by public subscription and private donation; the family of Joseph Lee gave £3,000 for construction of the tower and the family of Joshua Ingram gave £5,500 for its completion. The total cost of the new building, including furnishings, exceeded £30,000 (equivalent to £3.6 million in 2020). During construction, the preserved pillar in the vicarage garden was included within the choir vestry of the new church by Scott. An inscription on the pillar makes reference to this. The new church, constructed on a far larger scale than either of the previous two churches, was consecrated on 12 October 1871, by Robert Bickersteth,
Bishop of Ripon The Bishop of Ripon is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. The bishop is one of the area bishops of the Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York. The area bishop of Ripon has oversight o ...
. It had originally been proposed to demolish the entirety of the old church but Scott suggested retaining the medieval tower due to its age, and this proposal was accepted. The old church was demolished, save for the tower, in 1873. Scott made a minor alteration to the old tower, replacing the late Georgian
battlements A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...
and pinnacles installed in 1826 with a slate-covered pyramidal roof. Stone from the old church was used for construction of Eastthorpe School.


Modern restoration

In 2012, a major restoration project was launched to restore the tower and church which were in great need of repair. The first phase of repairs, undertaken between 2013 and 2016, included shrouding the tower in scaffolding, and using this to conduct extensive masonry repair, refurbishment of the clock faces, recasting and retuning of the bells, roof replacement, new oak louvres and repairs to the
pinnacles A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
. The cost of phase one was £253,000, funded by a £181,000 grant from the
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
, £10,000 from the
National Churches Trust The National Churches Trust, formerly the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, is a British Charitable organization#United Kingdom, registered charity whose aim is to "promote and support church buildings of historic, architectural and community ...
and the rest raised by the local congregation and volunteers. Further repairs are needed in phase two to repair weather damage and weatherproof the rest of the building before the it can be removed from the Heritage at Risk Register.


Architecture


Old Tower

The old church tower, preserved by Scott, is a three-storey structure, formed of an early Gothic base, later Perpendicular upper section, and topped by a 19th-century Gothic Revival pyramidal roof. The lower stage has large corner buttresses and pairs of traceried lancets, the
mullions A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...
of which are likely 19th-century. The upper stage is formed of larger single openings with 15th- or 16th-century tracery. The original roof line from the 1826 church is still visible etched in the eastern face of the tower.


St Mary's Church


Exterior

The present church building is on a far larger and grander scale than the old, for even the nave walls of the present building exceed the height of the old tower. The church building is now formed of a large west tower adjoining a five-bay nave with north and south aisles, a south
porch A porch (; , ) is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance to a building. A porch is placed in front of the façade of a building it commands, and forms a low front. Alternatively, it may be a vestibule (architecture), vestibule (a s ...
and a three-bay
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
, also with north and south aisles. A two-bay vestry adjoins the northern choir aisle. The footprint of the church is , which according to the Church of England, makes it a "very large" parish church. The building is designed in the Gothic Revival style, with
Early English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed a ...
influences. The principal feature externally is the lofty and broad west tower, formed of four stages with very large louvred bell openings on the uppermost stage. The tower is nearly square at the base and is high to the top of the pinnacles. There are diagonal buttresses to lower two stages which become octagonal buttresses to upper two stages and terminate in large pinnacles with spires. The nave aisles have simple 2-light windows with plate tracery and a
quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...
in each apex. The
clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...
above it is similar in form to a blind gothic
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
, with groups of three blind arches, a small lancet window illuminating the central arch in each group. The chancel and aisles have larger, paired lancets and the east window consists of three tall lancets with a quatrefoil roundel in the gable end. There is a large single lancet in all but the eastern face of the tower.


Interior

The interior is broad, high and light. The principal entrance in the south porch leads into the nave, formed of five bays. The arcade to the north and south aisles alternate between round piers with plain
capitals Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
and octagonal piers with foliated capitals; each arch has extensive moulding. Large arches into the chancel and into the tower.
Vaulted In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...
ceiling to tower, ribs forming centre circle. Chancel of two bays internally, with black marble
colonettes A colonnette is a small slender column, usually decorative, which supports a beam or lintel. Colonnettes have also been used to refer to a feature of furnishings such as a dressing table and case clock, and even studied by archeologists in Roma ...
around central columns. Elaborate oak panelling to the left side of the chancel;
sedilia In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar—often within the chancel—intended for use by the officiating priest, deacon, an ...
and
piscina A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a pisci ...
to the right. East window lancets memorial to Ingram family, manufactured by
Burlison and Grylls Burlison and Grylls is an English company who produced stained glass windows from 1868 onwards. The company of Burlison and Grylls was founded in 1868 at the instigation of the architects George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Both John Bur ...
in 1882. The nave and chancel have a fine and elaborate arch-braced
collar beam A collar beam or collar is a horizontal member between two rafters and is very common in domestic roof construction. Often a collar is structural but they may be used simply to frame a ceiling. A collar beam is often called a collar tie but this ...
roof.


= Fittings

= The church has a variety of fittings, including Victorian
choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...
, two fonts, an
alabaster Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
and oak
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
. The pulpit, made of carved oak on a stone base, depicts
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
,
Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
and
Augustine of Canterbury Augustine of Canterbury (early 6th century in England, 6th century â€“ most likely 26 May 604) was a Christian monk who became the first archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. He is considered the "Apostle to the English". Augustine ...
. There are two fonts; an older 17th-century one in the south aisle and a newer 19th-century font near the tower arch, made from red and black marble, above which hangs a spectacular spire-shaped carved oak font cover dating from 1931. The reredos, which spans the entire length of the chancel gable end, takes the shape of a gothic arcade and depicts the
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
in the centre panel with Salviati mosaics depicting angels on the outer panels. The Lady Chapel houses an ancient object. called the 'Mirfield stone', a grave monument believed to date from the 10th or 11th century. Made from brown
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
, it is high and long.


Building materials

Externally, the church is constructed from
ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
quarried from nearby
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
, with
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
roofs throughout except atop the tower, which is
lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
. The interior is also made mostly from ashlar, although this is lighter in colour than the external stone. Oak is used for the roof, pulpit, screen and font cover. Marble is also used in several places in the church, including as colonettes in the chancel and the fonts. The reredos is manufactured from alabaster, with spar from
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
used for decoration and Cornish spar for the shafts.


Dimensions

* Overall length: * Length of nave: * Width of central nave: * Height of nave roof: * Length of chancel: * Width of chancel: * Height of tower: * Footprint:


Organ

The first organ provided for the new church was a small instrument provided by F. Jardine of
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
in 1872, rebuilt in 1883 and again in 1891. This instrument was evidently insufficient for it was replaced entirely in 1924 with a new three- manual instrument by J. W. Walker & Sons of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
at a cost of £3,500. The Walker instrument was designed in consultation Dr. Tysoe, organist of
Leeds Parish Church Leeds Minster, also known as the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds (formerly Leeds Parish Church), is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architec ...
(now Leeds Minster), and contained some of the finer pipework from the previous organ. It was opened by Dr. Tysoe on 19 October 1926 and contained 39 speaking stops. This organ still forms the core of the present instrument but has received overhauls, enlargements and repairs multiple times. Firstly, in 1946, Walker & Sons returned to overhaul the instrument and make provision for a larger 16ft Contra Gamba but this pipe was never added. A more major overhaul took place in 1963, again by Walker & Sons, who dismantled and rebuilt the instrument with new second-hand pipes in the pedal section. A second significant overhaul was required in 1980s due to rain water penetrating the instrument following a series of robberies in which lead was stripped from the roof; this led to a majority of the instrument being unplayable. This overhaul, taking place in 1986, cost over £24,000 and involved replacing the piston system, tonal adjustments and additional stops. The instrument now has 48 speaking stops, 11
couplers Coupler may refer to: Engineering Mechanical * Railway coupler, a mechanism for connecting rolling stock on a train ** Janney coupler ** SA3 coupler ** Scharfenberg coupler for multiple unit passenger cars * Quick coupler, used in construction m ...
and 3 manuals. It is located in the north choir aisle.


Bells


Old church

The former church at Mirfield contained a ring of six bells, cast by a variety of founders between 1725 and 1852, with a tenor weighing 16 and three quarter hundredweight (850 kg), cast by Charles & George Mears of
Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...
. When the present building was opened, these bells were transferred to St Michael & All Angels, Thornhill, West Yorkshire. Thornhill replaced these bells in 1980 with another second hand ring, a peal of eight cast by Charles Carr of
Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in the Sandwell district, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire and then Worcestershire before bei ...
in 1910, originally hung at St Paul's Church,
Todmorden Todmorden ( ; ) is a market town and civil parish in the Upper Calder Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. It is north-east of Manchester, south-east of Burnley and west of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax. In 2011, it had a popul ...
. Only one of the bells from Mirfield's old church still survive; the treble, cast by Daniel Hedderly of
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...
in 1725 was purchased to augment the ring of five at Cropwell Bishop,
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
; the other five were scrapped in 1980.


Current church

During construction of the present church, a heavy peal of ten bells was cast by
John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell (instrument), bell foundry. It is locat ...
of
Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England; it is the administrative centre of Charnwood Borough Council. At the United Kingdom 2021 census, the town's built-up area had a popula ...
in 1869, installed in October 1870 when the tower was high enough to house them. At the time of casting, the bell foundry was overseen by
Lord Grimthorpe Baron Grimthorpe, of Grimthorpe in the East Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 17 February 1886 for the lawyer and architect Edmund Beckett, 5th Baronet, with remainder to the heirs m ...
, and much experimentation in the shapes and tuning of bells happened under his auspices. This ring of ten, with a tenor of 30 and a half long hundredweight (1,550 kg) were first rung on 15 July 1871. Though initially thought of as a good peal of bells, analysis of their tuning made in 1983 revealed the bells to be significantly out of tune.Inspection report
by
John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell (instrument), bell foundry. It is locat ...
. 1983. (PDF)
The bells have been overhauled several times since their installation; firstly in 1934 by John Taylor & Co, who replaced the
plain bearings file:NYC 100-driving-axle-friction-bearing.jpg, Plain bearing on a 1906 S-Motor locomotive showing the axle, bearing, oil supply and oiling pad file:Linear-table with detail numbered.png, A sliding table with four cylindrical bearings file:GWR Spo ...
with
ball bearings A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races. The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...
, overhauled and repaired the fittings and strengthened the frame at a cost of £238. A second overhaul took place in 1983, also by Taylor's, following an inspection report earlier that year, who reported that "tonally, the bells leave a great deal to be desired". They proposed a full restoration involving retuning and rehanging the bells at a cost of £7,560; this was not acted upon. Instead, the treble and 4th bells were brought to their works, were retuned and rehung on new metal headstocks; the other 8 bells remained untouched on their 1869 wooden headstocks. In 2012, as part of the launch of the project to restore the tower, the opportunity was taken to fundraise for a full restoration of the bells, as the condition of the ring was deteriorating. An £89,000 restoration project was launched to restore the bells and following three years of fundraising, the bells were rung for the last time on Easter Sunday, 2015. The original plan was to recast the lightest six bells, but two of the bells were utilised by the Keltek Trust and were sent to Butterton,
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
, as part of a restoration of their own ring. As a result, four of the lightest six bells were recast and two new bells cast to replace the two Butterton bells; the heaviest four bells were retuned. All new fittings were provided including cast-iron headstocks, ball bearings and new clappers. The frame the bells hang in, which dates back to the 1869 installation, was strengthened before the bells were rehung. As noted in the 1983 inspection report, the bells were substantially out of tune prior to the work being carried out, and as such extensive retuning took place on the heaviest four bells; the tuning of the lightest six being beyond redemption. As a result, the weight of the tenor bell was reduced by more than 100 kg, to a new weight post-retuning of 27 long hundredweight 3 qrs and 24 lbs (3,132 lb or 1,421 kg). The retuning also moved the key of the ring down from D to D flat (D♭). New oak louvres were also manufactured for the massive belfry openings. The restored and recast bells arrived back in Mirfield in March 2016 and were first rung just after Easter. The result has been hailed as "superb" and the bells at Mirfield are now considered "amongst the finest rings of ten in the country". The tower is notable for being one of only half a dozen towers remaining to have a complete set of 'Yorkshire tail ends', a variation on normal ropes featuring an additional woollen sally on the end of the rope for grip.


Churchyard

The churchyard at Mirfield is large, featuring numerous memorials. The body of the old church, demolished in 1873, now houses a memorial garden and there is a high stone cross near the main porch commemorating the First World War. A bell-shaped headstone marks the location of the grave of a former tower captain. The most significant feature in the churchyard is the surviving 11th-century motte from a motte-and-bailey castle, located just behind the present church tower. This motte, which was originally surmounted by a wooden
keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...
, is high with a diameter of nearly . The motte is surrounded by a moat wide by deep. The castle was built between 1086 and 1159 and it was known as the castle of Mirfield throughout the Middle Ages. The present church stands on the site of the Bailey. The surviving motte is a
Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
. There is a full survey of the graves and transcripts of the burial registers available via the External Links below.


See also

*
Grade II* listed buildings in West Yorkshire The county of West Yorkshire is divided into five metropolitan boroughs. The metropolitan boroughs of West Yorkshire are Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yor ...
* Listed buildings in Mirfield


References


External links


Official websiteSurvey of burials and Transcripts of burial registers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirfield, St Mary
St Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...
Grade II* listed churches in West Yorkshire 19th-century Church of England church buildings George Gilbert Scott buildings Structures on the Heritage at Risk register