St Mary's, Studley Royal

St Mary's
Church of St Mary, Studley Royal
St Mary's, Studley Royal St Mary's, Studley Royal
St Mary's
Location	Studley Royal, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Founded	1871-8
Architecture
Heritage designation	Listed building - Grade I
Architect(s)	William Burges
Architectural type	Gothic Revival
Style	Early English

The Church of St Mary, Studley Royal, is a Victorian Gothic Revival church built in the Early English style by William Burges. It is located in the grounds of Studley Royal Park at Fountains Abbey, in North Yorkshire, England. Burges was commissioned by the First Marquess of Ripon to build the church as a memorial church to Frederick Grantham Vyner, his brother in law. It is one of two such churches, the other being the Church of Christ the Consoler at Skelton-on-Ure.

File:StMarysChurchChancel.jpg

The Chancel

Frederick Vyner had been murdered by Greek bandits in 1870. A significant ransom had been demanded, and in part collected, before his death. His mother, Lady Mary Vyner, and his sister, Lady Ripon, used the unspent ransom to build the two churches in his memory. Burges' appointment as architect was most likely due to the connection between his greatest patron, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, and Vyner, who had been friends at Oxford. St Mary's, was commissioned in 1870 and work began in 1871. The church was consecrated in 1878. As at Skelton, Burges' design demonstrates a move from his favoured Early-French, to an English style. Pevsner writes of "a Victorian shrine, a dream of Early English glory." The interior is spectacular, exceeding Skelton in richness and majesty. The stained glass is of particularly high quality. St Mary's is Burges' "ecclesiastical masterpiece."

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire
• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England