St Mary's - a Puritan Makeover

Approaching St Mary's Church from the west you will enter through what is one of the oldest parts of the church – a beautifully carved Norman arch. The Norman church was enlarged in the 13th century but in the 15th century it was largely rebuilt. The shell of the nave as it exists today is thought to date from this time. St Mary’s did not escape the ravages of the 1653 fire which destroyed much of the town. The roof caught fire, falling into the nave and destroying the interior. As you enter through the west door you can still see the reddened stonework that was heated by the fire. Reconstruction of the church very much reflected the Puritan style – plain, no statues, and no chancel where the altar would have been. In 1707 three galleries were added to the church. The north gallery was used for the scholars of the free school which later became Marlborough Grammar School. The galleries were demolished in the early 19th century. In the 1840s the church was temporarily closed for repairs and “repewing” adding another 200+ seats. In 1874 a chancel was reinstated and it was during this restoration that workmen discovered a carving of the Roman Goddess Fortuna from the 3rd century AD in the west wall of the nave.