Saint George's Memorial Church,
Ypres (Ieper),
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, was built to commemorate over 500,000 British and Commonwealth troops, who had died in the three battles fought for the
Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient, around Ypres, in Belgium, was the scene of several battles and a major part of the Western Front during World War I.
Location
Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee. The city is overlooked b ...
, during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. It was completed in 1929.
The church was built following an appeal led by
The Ypres League and its President Field Marshal
Sir John French, Earl of Ypres, for a British memorial church to be built. Land was given by the town, and the foundation stone was laid by Field Marshal
Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. The church was consecrated by the
Bishop of Fulham
The Bishop of Fulham is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of London in the Church of England. The bishopric is named after Fulham, an area of south-west London; the see was erected under the Suffragans Nomination Act 1888 by Order in Council ...
on 24 March 1929. The architect was
Sir Reginald Blomfield whose work included the
Menin Gate
The Menin Gate (), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The m ...
(1922) and other war memorials.
The church is part of the
Diocese in Europe
The Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe, known simply as the Diocese in Europe (DiE), is a diocese of the Church of England. It was originally formed in 1842 as the Diocese of Gibraltar. It is geographically the largest diocese of the Church of Englan ...
of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
and is also a Belgian national monument. The church is open every day from 8:30 am until 7 pm (6 pm in winter).
The church has many plaques and memorials to regiments, associations and individuals.
Bells
In 2016, as part of the First World War centenary commemorations, a project to install a
ring of bells
A "ring of bells" is the name bell ringers give to a set of bells hung for English full circle ringing. The term "peal of bells" is often used, though peal also refers to a change ringing performance of more than about 5,000 changes.
By r ...
was launched. The church was originally planned to include a ring, but there was insufficient funding available.
By September 2017, the church was able to pay for a new ring of
change-ringing bells, 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. They are the first of their kind in Belgium. In January 2018, the bell-ringing guild of Ypres was looking for people to perform on the eight new bells.
On 10 January 2018, a team of eight bell-ringers from the UK managed to score a
peal
In campanology (bell ringing), a peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality.
The definition of a peal has changed considerably ...
of 5088 Ypres Surprise Major, in two hours and forty two minutes.
It was the first full peal ever rung on church bells in continental Europe, and was also the first full peal on the bells.
Location:
See also
*
List of churches under the patronage of Saint George
References
External links
St. George's website*http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/town-ieper-st-georges-church.htm
{{Diocese of Europe
Buildings and structures completed in 1929
Reginald Blomfield buildings
World War I memorials in Belgium
Churches in West Flanders
Buildings and structures in Ypres
Ypres Salient
George Ypres
20th-century Anglican church buildings in Belgium