Friends of the Parish Church
Our trip to Rochester Cathedral
Friends' visit to Rochester Cathedral 8th April 2024.
Friends’ members were lucky enough to have a sunny day to visit the historic Cathedral in Rochester on 8th April. The Cathedral is the 2nd oldest in England and Christian worship has taken place on the site since 604AD. The present building dates back to 1083, the glorious Norman architecture of the nave, parts of the crypt as well as one of the finest Romanesque facades in England.
There are some fine examples of later Gothic styles as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door. We were greeted by the most magnificent fresco painted by the Russian artist Sergey Fyodorov in 2004 to mark the 1400th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral. The upper part depicting the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and the lower part events of great significance to Kent history from 597AD.
After lunching together the afternoon was free time to visit the Castle and the town centre with architecture going back to the 14th Century.
See more photos taken by Martin Hugall and Tony Downing on our noticeboard and in this slideshow.
Pamela Mugliston
Secretary
See our Archive page for details of this and other trips.
About us
New members are most welcome and you don't have to be a parishioner of St Mary's to join. See below for how to join.
Founded in 1933, the Friends of St Mary’s Society provides funds for the maintenance of the fabric of the Church and for carrying out improvements and adornments. It is a Registered Charity (No 253119) and is administered by the Chairman, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer and six committee members with the Rector as President. We normally hold our AGM on the second Sunday in September to coincide with St Mary's Patronal Festival.
Our Founders
The Friends of the Parish Church was founded by Isaac Marking who was a Church Warden at the time and had a butchers shop and Abattoir on the corner of Church Street and Museum Street and Geoffrey Barnard who ran a Seed Merchants business in Barnard Close. Geoffrey Barnard effectively ran the Friends from it’s formation in 1933 until his death in January 1968
Objects of the Society of The Friends
(a) To unite into one body all the friends of this magnificent Church
(b) To provide funds to be utilised towards the maintenance of the fabric of the Church and for carrying out any desired improvements and/or adornments
(c) To fulfil the duty that is ours of preserving this Church in all its beauty for those who come after.
The Work of the Friends of the Church
Although a church has stood on this site for 800 years, the present building was remodelled 500 years ago under the supervision of John Wastell, master mason for King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, and externally apart from the spire has remained unchanged. Internally, over the years, many of the original tombs, chapels, pews and colouring have been removed and Victorian stained glass and the re-erected Chancel Screen and the Rood have had a great effect on the interior.
Whilst the Friends have been responsible for many practical schemes, such as the inner doors of the West Porch and the voice reinforcement system, they have also striven to bring colour and beauty to the church. The last years of the 20th century were very fruitful, with the provision of embroidered kneelers, colourful banners and the creation of the Chapel of Remembrance. We aim to use local craftsmen and women in all our projects and are careful to ensure that the schemes blend happily with the spirit of the building as it was conceived long ago.
In 2018 we made a major contribution to the Building Programme by funding the Welcome Furniture which is a great asset to the Church.
Friends' Newsletters
Spring 2024 Newsletter
Spring 2023 Newsletter
Spring 2022 Newsletter
Spring 2020 Newsletter
Spring 2019 Newsletter
Spring 2018 Newsletter
Spring 2017 Newsletter
Joining the Friends
We do hope that you will join us so that we can continue to contribute to the beautification of our Church. See below:
You can help us by joining the Society. Membership includes parishioners and other supporters, residents of Saffron Walden and many from further afield. Becoming a member helps to ensure that our work can continue under the guidance of the committee of the society. Membership costs a minimum of £5 per year (single) or £8 (family) payable by 1st April each year. Contact us via the Parish Office to find out more or download our leaflet which includes an application form.