Unit 4 - Visit

I finally got around to seeing St. Mary’s church in Warwick town centre for my visit requirement. I went early on a Saturday morning hoping to avoid Saturday shoppers and although sunny, it was very cold and windy.

I started by spending time walking around looking at the exterior and making sketches before going inside. I could immediately see obvious differences in styles where various sections had been built at different times. It was good to see these next to each other and be able to make comparisons. The nave has some decoration to it and these were mainly Classical references. The roofline had classical balustrades and urns but the windows had got the beginnings of the pointed arches, although the inner stonework of the window was still very much a rounded arch.

The tower has lots of recesses with plinths on it going up either side of the tower faces, although the statues they may once have held have all gone. The arches on these are rounded where as the central decorations on the tower face again have a slight point. The stonework at the very top of the tower though has similar decorations to the Beauchamp chapel (see below) and could be described as higher gothic in style.

Generally, the nave and tower only have the windows and recesses as forms of decoration. The rest of the walls are plain brickwork.

Moving round the church I came to a section that was suddenly very ornate. The roofline was lower than the nave and apse behind it and this was obviously a later addition. There is very little of the wall that has not been decorated in some way. The arches are definitely pointed although very wide still, and the decorations are slender and intricate. External buttress supports have been built; they are solid at the base but again have a lot of carving to make them less clumsy looking and they are topped by flying buttress vaults, although the roof isn’t that high so I’m not sure if they do serve a support purpose or are merely decorative. There are still distinct horizontal lines in use which would lead me to say that this section isn’t quite of the high gothic period yet which tried to ‘blur’ any horizontals for a ‘heavenward’ effect. This section I found out to be the Beauchamp Chapel, which was built in the mid fifteenth century.

Continuing around the church even more, the apse has a massive window full of stained glass. The level of decoration on the walls is less than the last section but more than the nave and tower. I would have said that as the church was built, possibly starting from the tower end and working towards the apse, the gothic style had developed to become more decorative and this was implemented into the design. There is here though the use of solid buttress vaults with no attempt to decorate them or make them appear less ungainly.

The other side of the church generally mirrors the first side. However, whereas the first side has had the beautiful Beauchamp Chapel addition, this side is very plain with only a few windows breaking up the brickwork and the whole effect is of a functional addition to the Church. These rooms turn out to be the oldest part of the church and are the vestry rooms.

I made several sketches of the overall building and also some of the stonework details. I also took some photos from a distance for a general view. Taking photos was also helpful to be able to see more clearly the details in the stonework that was higher on the façade and out of clear visibility.

Once inside, I again took a little while to look around and think about the layout and styles. The nave has tall and slender columns going into rib vaults. Between the vaults, the ceiling has been filled with plaster and the centre of the vaults has a decorative stone circle, some displaying a coat of arms.

The church is obviously based on the shape of the cross and has a central aisle leading to the altar and two side aisles. Similar to the outside, the only structural decoration is on the windows, with the exception of some coats of arms that have been mounted.

Moving into the apse, the level of decoration increases greatly, again like the exterior. The wooden choir stalls are carved almost all over and the walls are covered in stone tracery. Fan vaults with subsidiary and flying ribs are in use and the windows go right up to the ceiling and almost fill the walls width-wise. There is a high altar here and in the centre is a large tomb for Earl Thomas Beauchamp I and his wife who had much involvement in the building of the church, and it is their coats of arms that can be seen around the church. Almost filing the floor space in front of the high altar are numerous grave and memorial stones.

These grave and memorial stones have been laid on the floor above ‘the bone house’. Down in the crypt, where there are many more such stones, were kept the remains found in graves disturbed by various rebuilds. A section of the crypt has been sealed off and reserved for the earls of Warwick and their families.

The level of decoration increases again in The Beauchamp Chapel, which is even more intricately designed than the exterior. The only areas not decorated are the ceiling space between the ribs of the vaults, and the floor. In here are four large ornate tombs, each with their own distinct designs. This is also the only part of the church to have an original painting, of the Last Judgement, and with so much detail, it is the most colourful part of the church. There is a mix in here of the religious and secular. The stained glass features Biblical scenes and the plasterwork and carving are of Biblical characters. Whereas the tombs are very much a celebration of personal success and status; bearing many coats of arms, with figures of relatives mourning the deceased and even mythical winged creatures.

The Beauchamp chapel has been built for the sole purpose of commemorating Richard Beauchamp whose tomb is positioned centrally and in front of the altar. To the sides, other tombs of relatives have been added at later dates. The feel of this room is very self-indulgent and I would imagine this indulgent style in which they want to be remembered mirrored their style of living very closely.

On the North side of the church, one of the vestry rooms has been turned into a private mausoleum for the family of Fulke Greville. The room is almost completely filled with a black marble tomb in the Classic style. Although nowhere near as decorative as the Beauchamp tombs, it is equally as impressive and domineering. Again, the style of this could be read as a reflection of the persons’ life and demeanour.

The church appears to have been built and used for two main reasons. The first is that of a church of remembrance. The many tombs both inside and outside show this, as well as the area that has been more recently dedicated to fallen war heroes through the ages. There are many other memorial markers for benefactors of the church in various places.

Secondly, the church once had a pilgrimage connection. A list of the relics the church claimed to own included a piece of Jesus’ manger and cross, and part of the burning bush of Moses. The importance of these relics and the crowds they would have drawn can go some way in explaining the obvious wealth the church once had, and of its huge size in comparison to the population of Warwick.

I later found out from the guidebooks I bought, that the nave and south transept, which I thought were the oldest due to their Classical references, are actually the newest parts. They were rebuilt in the eighteenth century after a fire destroyed the originals in 1694. A drawing of the church before the fire shows that the nave windows were more ornate than the ones there now, but the tower was a lot plainer. Why it was decided to rebuild using Classical details on the nave and high gothic on the tower instead of a uniform style is unclear.

In terms of decoration versus devotion, the nave is relatively plain with little to distract the worshipper. Even though it is the plainest part, it still has its own beauty and atmosphere and the small altar does not draw very much attention at all. I imagine many people may find themselves looking past the altar to the apse with its stained glass window commanding attention.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this visit and I was constantly being amazed at the sheer vastness and variety of decoration and the size of the building. I have been past the church many times I the past and never taken notice. Once again, a purposeful visit has opened my eyes to the wonderful buildings and art so close to home.