St Mary’s is set within the Studley Royal Estate, an 18th-century designed landscape that encompasses the magnificent ruins of Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132, and the famous water gardens. St Mary’s, designed by the renowned architect William Burges for the first Marquess and Marchioness of Ripon, was built as the estate church.
History
It is also a memorial to the marchioness’s brother Frederick Vyner, who was kidnapped and held to ransom in 1870 while travelling in Greece. Before the money could be paid he was killed during a rescue attempt.
Both St Mary’s and its companion church, Christ the Consoler at nearby Skelton, were commissioned from Burges, and the unpaid ransom went towards their construction. The foundation stone of St Mary’s church was laid in 1871 and the church was consecrated in 1878. Both the marquess and the marchioness are buried in the church and are commemorated by a sumptuous marble monument in the south-aisle chapel.
St Mary’s ceased to be used for services in 1970 and passed into state guardianship. In 1986 the Studley Royal Estate, including the church and the abbey, was placed on the list of World Heritage Sites, as a man-made landscape of international historic and aesthetic significance.
Description
Burges skilfully integrated the new church into an existing setting. Situated in the north-west part of the estate, within the deer park, it forms the terminus of an axis that runs down the grand avenue of lime trees towards the west front of Ripon Cathedral. The large spire of St Mary’s is prominent in the Studley Royal landscape and the view to Ripon from the church is breathtaking on a clear day.
Burges is best known for his domestic work for the Marquess of Bute at Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in Wales. He travelled in France and Italy, sketching medieval Gothic buildings that inspired the romantic architectural style with which he is associated. St Mary’s is considered by many to be his ecclesiastical masterpiece. It is one of the finest examples of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in England, designed by one of the style’s most eminent proponents.
Burges was concerned with all aspects of the design of the church, from the plan to the decorative details of the interior. He worked closely with a skilled team of craftsmen on the stained glass, wall paintings, mosaic floor, marble panelling and organ.
Built of grey limestone and with a grey slate roof, St Mary’s Church is in an elaborate 13th-century Decorated Gothic style. It is adorned with richly carved sculpture, in particular round the west door and the west window. Elaborate ironwork embellishes the wooden south and west doors. The interior features coloured stone and marbles, carved, painted and gilded details, and painted saints, angels, stars and symbols of Paradise lost and regained.
The chancel is the visual and symbolic climax of the building. Its walls are lined with marble, outlined with mosaic and the ceiling is richly painted. The original plan to decorate the nave and aisles in the same way was never implemented, probably owing to costs.
Sources
Mordaunt Crook, J 1981, 'William Burges and the High Victorian Dream', John Murray: London
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
