Tower and Town, June 2021 (view the full edition)Building ChurchAs a church community we want to share the Christian story of love, to grow as disciples and help point people towards leading a rich, fulfilling life, whilst at the same time navigating the many challenges life throws at us. The emphasis is on building Christ-centred community and growing supportive relationships. People have been doing this in Marlborough for a thousand years and the evidence of this is captured in the building of St Mary's church. The current church dates from the Norman period and, while little evidence of this church remains, the main entrance is under a striking round dog-tooth arch. A single Norman column is to be found inside the church, giving a hint of what the church could have looked like with a row of solid Norman pillars encompassing the nave. There is also a small collection of Norman stone heads embedded in the walls ... I wonder who they represent, the local lord of the manor or vicar perhaps? These are not the oldest parts of the church; in the 17th century a defaced statue of the Roman goddess Fortuna was built into the west wall of the nave. I can only wonder what people were thinking when they did this; if only the walls could talk!  Norman Figure  Roman goddess Fortuna During the English Civil War in 1642 the Parliamentarian commander took refuge in the church and the north side of the tower still bears the marks of shot from Royalist guns. The fire that destroyed much of the town in 1653 also caused great damage to the nave and the Norman arcades had to be taken down. The church was then rebuilt along Puritan lines and this has largely remained to the present day. When coming into the church today, the asymmetry jars; the south aisle pillars interrupt the arch to the chancel. However, if you remove the chancel - a later addition - and then re-orientate the church 90 degrees and add the pulpit to the north wall a harmonious layout is achieved. Some of the recent history is inscribed in the clear glass windows, including details of the last major development of the church to make it fit for purpose in the 21st century. Henry from Ramsbury, a plumber, did some glazing work in 1823  Henry from Ramsbury, a plumber, did some glazing work in 1823 As a churchwarden my role is to support the rector in the running of the church, in particular looking after the operations of the church and this includes maintaining the church building. Understandably, St Mary's is a grade 1 listed building and any changes to the building need to be approved by the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) through the submission and approval of a faculty. This is a process that requires considerable patience and dedication from churchwardens as we wrestle to make changes to the building. Thankfully St Mary's is in an excellent state of repair and is a credit to the many people who have laboured over the centuries maintaining it. In recent years we owe a huge debt to Martin Selby and Pam Tulloch who have, with others, quietly dedicated their time and skills in maintaining the building. The lighting was replaced recently and our current focus is to install a new audio-visual system in the church. When completed, St Mary's will not only be a building fit for the worship God and communicating the message of Jesus but it will also be a wonderful flexible space, in the centre of our town to host concerts, talks, exhibitions and conferences.  Details of the last major changes made to St Mary's Church in 1999/2000 Simon Mills, Church Warden |