Issue 47 JUNE - Flipbook - Page 77
The Reawakening of St
Mary Magdalene: Supporting
Newark’s Communities
St Mary’s is a Grade I listed church which has stood at the heart of Newark-on-Trent for over 800
years. The earliest parts of the church date back to the 1180s, but its construction spanned more than
three centuries.
As a result, the building showcases four distinct
architectural styles: Transitional Norman, Early English,
Decorative Gothic, and Perpendicular Gothic. By the
early 1500s, the church was largely complete, though
various internal alterations over the centuries have since
transformed aspects of its original 16th-century character.
The last major reordering occurred in the mid-19th
century under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott,
who sought “to renovate and beautify” the ancient
church. His work included relocating the font to the
south-west corner on three stone steps, removing 16thcentury galleries and box pews, and stripping plaster and
limewash from the interior walls.
Today, St Mary’s is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk
Register, the result of centuries of exposure to the
elements. Urgent repairs are now underway to safeguard
the building for future generations.
Thanks to grants totalling £3,064,126 from National
Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage
Fund, and with support from Historic England, the
Church of England, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund,
vital repair and conservation works are now being carried
out. These efforts will enable St Mary’s to be removed
from the Heritage at Risk Register. Alongside the repair
work, we are taking the opportunity to reorder the church
to meet the needs of a 21st century congregation.
Below, St Mary Magdalene
