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St Mary's Church, Swansea

Coordinates: 51°37′08″N 3°56′35″W / 51.619°N 3.943°W / 51.619; -3.943
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea
The Collegiate & Parish Church of St. Mary's
St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea is located in Swansea
St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea
St Mary and Holy Trinity, Swansea
Location in Swansea
51°37′08″N 3°56′35″W / 51.619°N 3.943°W / 51.619; -3.943
LocationSwansea
Country Wales
DenominationChurch in Wales
Previous denominationCatholic Church
Websitehttps://www.swanseastmary.co.uk/
History
StatusCollegiate church
Foundedearly 13th century
Founder(s)Henry de Gower, Bishop of Saint David's
Consecrated1959
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated1896,1950
Architect(s)Arthur Blomfield, Dean Allan Smith
Architectural typeChurch
Administration
ProvinceWales
DioceseSwansea and Brecon
ArchdeaconryGower
DeaneryAfon Tawe (Swansea)
ParishCentral Swansea
Clergy
ArchbishopMost Revd Andrew John
Bishop(s)Right Revd John Lomas
RectorThe Revd Canon Justin Davies
Curate(s)The Revd John Anthony
ArchdeaconJonathan Davies
Laity
Director of musicDr William Reynolds
Chapter clerkMr Paul Murray
Churchwarden(s)Mrs Helen Murray MBE, Dr Bashir Masih Gill

St Mary's Collegiate and Parish Church is an Anglican church in the centre of Swansea, Wales, UK. It is considered the Civic Church of Swansea.

There was a church on the site of St Mary's since circa 1328, erected by Henry de Gower, Bishop of Saint David's. One Sunday morning, in 1739, the roof of the nave collapsed into the church while the congregation was waiting to enter the building. The whole structure was re-built apart from the tower. 1822 saw the church being lit by gas for the first time with thirty six lamps. The church underwent complete renovation between 1879 and 1882 by Vicar Dr Morgan. In 1896, the church was flattened and rebuilt again under the designs of Arthur Blomfield by Dean Allan Smith, though some parts of the old church survived the re-development. In February 1941 the church was extensively damaged by Bombing during the Blitz. It was not rebuilt until the 1950s.[1]

From the 1890s the Swansea Devil stood on a set of buildings facing the west side of the church, constructed by a disgruntled rival of Blomfield's, angry at the commissioning of Blomfield's designs over his own.

Bells

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The tower contains eight bells, which were cast in 1959 by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough with the heaviest weighing 20cwt - 2qr - 12lb (1049.2 kg) in "E". Details of the bells:-

Bell Weight Nominal Freq. Note Diameter Year Cast Foundry
1 5-1-10 (271.9 kg) 1326.0 Hz E 28.25 inches (71.8 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
2 5-2-12 (285.5 kg) 1249.0 Hz D# 29.13 inches (74.0 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
3 5-3-10 (297.3 kg) 1110.0 Hz C# 30.50 inches (77.5 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
4 7-0-18 (364.6 kg) 986.0 Hz B 32.75 inches (83.2 cm) 1958 John Taylor & Co
5 9-2-9 (487.8 kg) 876.0 Hz A 36.50 inches (92.7 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
6 11-0-1 (560.5 kg) 825.0 Hz G# 38.50 inches (97.8 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
7 15-0-3 (765.1 kg) 734.0 Hz F# 43.13 inches (109.6 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co
8 20-2-12 (1049.2 kg) 654.0 Hz E 48.00 inches (121.9 cm) 1959 John Taylor & Co

Images

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References

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