St Marie's Church, Rugby Explained

St Marie's Church, Rugby
Coordinates:52.3665°N -1.2637°W
Location:Dunchurch Road, Rugby, Warwickshire
Country:England
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Status:Active
Heritage Designation:Grade II* listed
Designated Date:11 October 1949
Architect:Augustus Pugin
E. W. Pugin
Bernard Whelan
Architectural Type:Gothic revival
Years Built:1847-1872
Deanery:Rugby Deanery
Diocese:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham

St Marie's Church is the main Roman Catholic church in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, located to the south of the town centre on Dunchurch Road, one of the main roads into the town. It is one of the town's most well-known landmarks as it is quite dominant on the skyline.

History

The church came about because Captain Washington Hibbert of Bilton Grange, married Julia Tichborne, a Catholic woman in 1839. As there was no provision for Catholics in Rugby, Hibbert bought a plot of land off Dunchurch Road and commissioned Augustus Pugin to design a church.[1] It was first opened in 1847, designed in the Gothic revival style. It was enlarged in 1864 by Pugin's son Edward Welby Pugin, and in 1872 the current tall and slender spire was added, designed by Bernard Whelan, which is nearly 200 feet (61 metres) tall.[2] [3] [4] The church has been Grade II* listed since 1949.[5]

Today

The church is part of the Rugby Deanery in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wait . Rev W.O. . Rugby:past and present, with an historical account of neighbouring parishes. . 166–168 . 1893.
  2. Book: Osbourne, Andy . Rawlins, Eddy . Rugby Growth Of A Town . 1988.
  3. Web site: Rugby history timeline. Rugby Local History Research Group. 30 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160920204515/http://www.rugby-local-history.org/index.php/history?id=114. 20 September 2016. live. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Roman Catholic Church of St Marie, Dunchurch Road, Rugby . Our Warwickshire . 27 December 2021.
  5. Web site: Roman Catholic Church of St Marie A Grade II* Listed Building in Rugby, Warwickshire . British Listed Buildings . 12 December 2018.