| St Mary's Church, Hitchin | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's, viewed from the south-west | |
  St Mary's Church, Hitchin Location in Hertfordshire | |
| 51°56′53″N 0°16′39″W / 51.94806°N 0.27750°W | |
| OS grid reference | TF 18371 29183 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website | stmaryshitchin |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Albans |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of St Albans |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Christopher Bunce |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Alan Childs |
St Mary's Church is a Church of England parish church in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.
St Mary's Church is the largest parish church in Hertfordshire,[1] and is remarkably large for a town of the size of Hitchin — this has been cited as evidence of how Hitchin prospered from the wool trade.[1] The present church stands on the site of two previous churches and dates from the 14th and 15th centuries,[2] with its tower dating from around 1190. The church has been Grade I listed since 1951.[3]
During the laying of a new floor in the church in 1911, foundations of a more ancient Saxon church building were found. In form, they appear to be a basilican church of a 7th-century type, with a later enlarged chancel and transepts, perhaps added in the 10th century. These may have been the remains of a Benedictine monastery said to have been first on the site[4] and to have been founded by Offa, King of Mercia (r. 757–796).
- ^ a b Jones & Tricker 1992, p. 145.
- ^ "History". stmaryshitchin.co.uk. St Mary's Church, Hitchin. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of Saint Mary (Grade I) (1296273)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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