St. Mary The Church of Our Lady Merevale, is a historic parish church in
Merevale,
Warwickshire is known for its
Jesse window
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, shown in a branching tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David. It is the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a gen ...
. Originally, it was part of Merevale Abbey, but now is a
Church of England parish church.
History
The Church was originally the gatehouse to the much larger Merevale Abbey that was founded in 1148 and was a Cistercestan Abbey was destroyed in the
Dissolution of the Monasteries by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. Some traces of it remain today. The Gatehouse survived and became a
Church of England parish church.
Burials at Merevale Abbey
*
John de Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Chartley
*
Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby
*
Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby
Robert II de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby (c. 1100 – 1162) was a younger, but eldest surviving son of Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby and his wife Hawise. He succeeded his father as Earl of Derby in 1139 (William, his elder brother, havin ...
*
Robert de Ferrers, 5th Baron Ferrers of Chartley
*
William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby
Today
It is part of the Kingsbury and Baxterley group of churches along with
Baxterley
Baxterley is a small village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire in England. According to the 2001 Census, it had a population of 335, reducing to 328 at the 2011 Census. The village is about two miles west of A ...
,
Kingsbury,
Hurley
Hurley may refer to:
Places
;In the United Kingdom:
* Hurley, Berkshire
* Hurley, Warwickshire
* Hurley Common, Warwickshire
;In the United States:
* Hurley, Alabama
* Hurley, Mississippi
* Hurley, Missouri
* Hurley, New Mexico
* Hurley, New Y ...
and
Wood End, All five share the same Priest in Charge who is currently Revd. Dr John White.
It is the only church in the parish of Merevale with
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...
which has 4
exclaves (2 near
Twycross, 1 near
Sheepy Parva Both in
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
and one in
Hams Hall in
Warwickshire).
It is part of the Deanery of Polesworth, Which is Part of the Arch Deanery of Aston.
It is the only Cistercian Gate Chapel to be open for regular weekly services throughout the year in the
United Kingdom.
External links
Kingsbury And Baxterley Group of ChurchesA church Near you
{{coord, 52.57656, N, 1.57282, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Merivale