Celebrating 850 years of Worship at St Mary’s Church
“The stateliest and most impressive of all churches in Leicestershire” – Pevsner.
There was most likely a Saxon church on the site of the current church which served the needs of the early settlement of Melton Mowbray. In 12th Century the town became more prosperous, principally through the wool trade and because of its location on the main highway between London and the North. Small wonder that the citizens of the town at the time wanted to build something more magnificent and more representative of their new found wealth.
St Mary’s is the largest church in Leicestershire including Leicester Cathedral. The church was built in the shape of a cross with the two side arms or transepts flanked by aisles, a feature of a cathedral, and only found in four other parish churches in the country that are not cathedrals.
Work on the current church was well underway in the 13th Century and it is this 850th anniversary that was due to be celebrated in 2019. Sadly Covid-19 made this impossible but it is a significant anniversary that cannot be ignored and so two years late, Melton celebrated the Church that has been the heart of its community for over 850 years.
Take a Tour of St Mary’s Church (Download)