St Mary de Castro is an ancient, Grade I listed church in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, England, located within the bailey of Leicester Castle. It is a

Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ...

in the

Diocese of Leicester The Diocese of Leicester is a Church of England diocese based in Leicester and including the current county of Leicestershire. The cathedral is Leicester Cathedral, where the Bishop of Leicester has his episcopal chair. The diocese is divided in ...

. ''De Castro'' is Latin for 'of the Castle'; to differentiate it from the nearby St Mary de Pratis; 'St Mary of the Meadows'. The building was closed in 2011 to the public after the

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

was found to be unsafe but as of April 2015 is open again. The spire has been taken down and funds are currently insufficient to replace it and repair the tower beneath. It is believed to have been the first church in the UK to be viewable online using

Google Street View Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides interactive panoramas from positions along many streets in the world. It was launched in 2007 in several cities in the United States, and has since expa ...

, having been photographed in August 2012.

Architectural history

The foundation of the first church on the site dates to the year 918 and the reconquest of Danish-occupied Leicester by Anglo-Saxon forces under Ethelfleda, Lady of the Mercians, and

Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousi ...

, both children of

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfr ...

. They were responsible for the reconstruction of the towns walls, the restoration of

St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

, and the first church on the site of Leicester Castle. It became a

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

by 1107 after

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

granted the lands and castle to Robert de Beaumont, although the chronicler

Henry Knighton Henry Knighton (or Knyghton) (died c. 1396, in England) was an Augustinian canon at the abbey of St Mary of the Meadows, Leicester, England, and an ecclesiastical historian ( chronicler). He wrote a history of England from the Norman conquest ...

implies that an Anglo-Saxon college of St Mary had already existed at the church before and that Robert merely refurbished it. Robert established it within the castle bailey as a college served by a dean and twelve canons in honour of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

and All Souls and as a

chantry A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a set of Christian liturgical celebrations for the dead (made up of the Requiem Mass and the Office of the Dead), or # a chantry chapel, a b ...

chapel for the souls of him, his family and the first three Norman kings. He endowed this and four other churches with £6 of his income and land in or near the city. However, in 1143 these endowments were all transferred by his son

Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168) was Justiciar of England 1155–1168. The surname "de Beaumont" was given to him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robe ...

, to his own new Augustinian foundation of Leicester Abbey. The collegiate church retained, or had restored to it a dean, six clerks and a chaplain, along with Robert de Beaumont's grant of 20 shillings for lamps. It also retained parish offerings and most of the

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

s. The collegiate nature of the church lasted until the college was disbanded in 1548 under the Chantry Act of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

The early-12th-century church had no aisles, and various parts of these walls survive. It underwent a major expansion in the 1160, with a north aisle, doorways to north and west, and an extension to the

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 ...

. The two doorways provide external Norman zigzag decoration, but it is the

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 ...

in the Chancel extension that

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...

describes as "the finest piece of Norman decoration in the county". Thirteenth-century alterations culminated in a major reworking of

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

s and south aisle, to create an aisle wider than the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, providing much more space for local parishioners. Also the huge east window of the south aisle, with ingenious

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 ...

, was created around 1300. The tower was built inside the south aisle, apparently as an afterthought, rising to 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 ...

frieze, four decorated pinnacles, and the needlelike spire rising from the battlements. The spire was rebuilt in 1783, but retained its

crocket A crocket (or croquet) is a small, independent decorative element common in Gothic architecture. The name derives from the diminutive of the Old French ''croc'', meaning "hook", due to the resemblance of a crocket to a bishop's Shepherd's crook, ...

s and three tiers of lucarnes. The interior was worked on by

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 ...

throughout the 1860s.

Famous events

It is rumoured that here, around 1366,

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

married

Philippa (de) Roet Philippa de Roet (also known as Philippa Pan or Philippa Chaucer; – c. 1387) was an English courtier, the sister of Katherine Swynford (third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster – a son of Edward III of England, King Edward III) and th ...

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

's queen,

Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted a ...

, and a sister of

Katherine Swynford Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster (born Katherine de Roet, – 10 May 1403) was the third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the fourth (but third surviving) son of King Edward III. Daughter of a knight from County of Hainaut, Ha ...

who later ( 1396) became the third wife of Chaucer's friend and patron,

John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399), was an English royal prince, military leader and statesman. He was the fourth son (third surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...

). The infant king Henry VI was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed in the church at Whitsuntide 1426 by his uncle,

John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford (20 June 1389 – 14 September 1435) was a medieval English prince, general, and statesman who commanded England's armies in France during a critical phase of the Hundred Years' War. Bedford was the third son ...

, the Regent of France (whilst the Parliament of Bats was being held at the Castle). Henry then proceeded to himself dub a further 44 knights on the same occasion, the first of whom was

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), also named Richard Plantagenet, was a leading English magnate and claimant to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. He was a member of the ruling House of Plantag ...

. William Bickerstaffe, a charitable local schoolmaster and

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...

, was baptised, buried and held a seven-year

curacy A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are ass ...

at the church.

Spire

The church was closed when the spire was found to be unsafe. The 14th-century octagonal spire, having been rebuilt in 1783, had developed six-metre-long cracks in four of its faces in September 2013. After inspections by structural engineers, it was deemed at risk of collapse. The severe condition of the spire meant it had to be demolished, at an estimated cost of £200,000, in 2014. Over £358,000 has been raised since 2011; however, there are currently insufficient funds to rebuild the spire and repair the tower.

Organ

The church contains a three manual pipe organ which was originally installed in 1860 by

Forster and Andrews Forster and Andrews was a British organ building company between 1843 and 1924. The company was formed by James Alderson Forster (1818–1886) and Joseph King Andrews (1820–1896), who had been employees of the London organ builder J. C. Bisho ...

. It has been the subject of modifications and restorations in 1880 by Joshua Porritt, and R. J. Winn in 1960. A specification of the organ can be found on the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

The Church of St Mary de Castro - geograph

Organists

*Mary Ann Deacon *Frederick Cambridge 1866 - 1868 *Andrew Landergan 1868 - ca. 1870 * Henry Bramley Ellis organist 1878 – 1910 * Benjamin Burrows 1910 - 1923 *William Edward Snow, father of C. P. Snow 1930 – 1953 (previously organist at St James’ Church, Aylestone, and All Saints’ Church, Wigston Magna) *John M. Bence 1962 - 2020 *Andrew Green 2020 -

Galleries

St. Mary de Castro - geograph.org.uk - 2682037.jpg, Norman chancel extern north facade (note grotesque corbels and arches) St. Mary de Castro - geograph.org.uk - 2682041.jpg, Norman chancel extern south facade (note grotesque corbels and arches) St Mary de Castro sedilia.jpg, Chancel sedilia St Mary de Castro sedilia detail.jpg, Close up of sedilia mouldings St Mary de Castro, Norman arch - Flickr - It's No Game.jpg, West Door St. Mary de Castro - geograph.org.uk - 2682031.jpg, North Door St Mary de Castro Chancel E window 2.jpg, Chancel East Windows North Arch (Crucifixion) St Mary de Castro Chancel E window.jpg, Chancel East Windows North Arch (Burial) St Mary de Castro Chancel E window 3.jpg, Chancel East Windows South Arch (Resurrection) St Mary de Castro Chancel E window 4.jpg, Chancel East Windows South Arch (Ascension) St Mary de Castro nave W window 1.jpg, Nave west window (patriarchs and prophets) West window of St Mary de Castro.jpg, Nave west window (Eve) St Mary de Castro nave W window 4.jpg, Nave west window (Banishment from Eden) St Mary de Castro nave W window 5.jpg, Nave west window (Annunciation) West window of nave St Mary de Castro.jpg, Nave west window (Baptism of Christ)

References

External links

Parish websiteGoogle Streetview Insideview of St Mary de Castro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leicester, Saint Mary de Castro 12th-century church buildings in England History of Leicester Grade I listed churches in Leicestershire Church of England church buildings in Leicester Burial sites of the Bohun family Anglo-Catholic church buildings in Leicestershire Anglo-Catholic churches in England receiving AEO