St Mary's Church is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

parish church in Weymouth,

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Built of Portland stone in 1815–1817, the church has been described as having an "austere design in Palladian mode". It has been a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

since 1953.

History

A church on the site of St Mary's dates back to the 13th-century, when a

Chantry chapel A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a Christian liturgy of prayers for the dead, which historically was an obiit, or # a chantry chapel, a building on private land, or an area i ...

was first recorded there in 1299. A new church was built on the site in 1605, which replaced St Mary's at Radipole as the parish church of

Melcombe Regis Melcombe Regis is an area of Weymouth in Dorset, England. Situated on the north shore of Weymouth Harbour and originally part of the waste of Radipole, it seems only to have developed as a significant settlement and seaport in the 13th centu ...

in 1606. The decision to build a new church stemmed from the church at Radipole being too small and at an inconvenient location for many parishioners. Furthermore, it was considered that Melcombe Regis was "subject to the incursion of foreign enemies, who might surprise the town during Divine service, and depart before the inhabitants could repair home to make resistance". The church was frequently used by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

during his visits to Weymouth between 1789 and 1805. By the early 19th-century, the church had become too small to adequately serve the population of Melcombe Regis, and had fallen into a dangerous and dilapidated state. Fundraising for the church to be rebuilt commenced in early 1815, with the appeal noting that the "smallness and inconvenience" of the church had "long been a source of infinite regret to well disposed Christians, and the cause of much injury to Weymouth as a watering place." Furthermore, as a result of the church not being enlarged or improved over the years, non-conformist worship had thrived within the town. Plans for a church capable of accommodating upwards of 2,000 people were drawn up by James Hamilton of Weymouth, with many seats being free and unappropriated for the benefit of the poor and visitors to the seaside resort. In June 1815, an Act of Parliament was obtained for the rebuilding of the church and tenders from builders were sought that month. The foundation stone was laid by the

Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The see is in the City of Salisbury where the bishop's seat ...

, the Right Rev.

John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...

, on 4 October 1815, and the completed church was opened by the

Archdeacon of Dorset The Archdeacon of Dorset is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Salisbury, England. He or she is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the four area deaneries: Purbeck, Poole, Wimborne, and Milto ...

, the Right Rev.

William England William England (died 1896) was a successful Victorian photographer specialising in stereoscopic photographs. Life Sources disagree on his date of birth, with dates from 1816 to 1830 quoted by different authors. In the 1840s England ran a London ...

, on 23 March 1817. The church underwent major restoration in 1922, which included the rebuilding of the north aisle.

References

External links

*
Radipole and Melcombe Regis Churches website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Church, Weymouth Buildings and structures in Weymouth, Dorset Churches in Dorset Church of England church buildings in Dorset Grade I listed churches in Dorset 1817 establishments in England