St Mark's Church, Royal Tunbridge Wells

St. Mark's Church is the Church of England parish church for the Broadwater Down area of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England,[1] in the Diocese of Rochester.[2] Built in the 19th-century Gothic Revival style by Robert Lewis Roumieu, it is a Grade II* listed building.[3]

The Caen stone font and some of the stained glass

St. Mark's Church
Church of St. Mark
St. Mark's Church
51.11571°N 0.25170°E / 51.11571; 0.25170
OS grid referenceTQ5770037568
LocationRoyal Tunbridge Wells
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteSt. Mark's Church
History
Statusparish church
Founder(s)Earl of Abergavenny
DedicationSt. Mark
Consecrated1866
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated7 June 1996
Architect(s)Robert Lewis Roumieu
Architectural typeLate Gothic Revival
StyleFrench Gothic
Groundbreaking1864
Completed1866
Specifications
Spire height130 ft (40 m)
MaterialsStone
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseRochester
DeaneryTunbridge Wells
ParishBroadwater Down
Clergy
Priest in chargeLaurence Powell

History

St. Mark's Church was built as the result of personal intervention from William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny. He had begun developing a section of the Abergavenny Estate with residential mansions, but late in the process he determined to build a church and parsonage at his own personal expense, which reduced the number of mansions ultimately built to 46.[4] The church was funded by the 4th Earl, and designed by architect Robert Lewis Roumieu.[3] Construction began in 1864 after the laying of the foundation stone by the Countess of Abergavenny. It was consecrated in 1866. The parish was created in 1867 from Holy Trinity, Eridge Green, in the Diocese of Chichester. It was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester in 1991.[5]

Design

The church was designed in the French Gothic style of Late Gothic Revival architecture.[6] It was built using stone from the Earl of Abergavenny's own quarries and Bath stone for the carvings. The spire is 130 feet high.[6] Inside, the font and pulpit were made from Caen stone. Its stained glass windows were installed as a memorial to the Earl when he died and depict the four major prophets and the Four Evangelists.[6] Roumieu was given freedom in his design of the building, which was referred to by Building News as "acrobatic gothic".[3]

The church also has a set of chimes and bells installed in the clock tower. They was funded by public donations in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and were first used in 1898. In 2005, the chimes were stopped in order to carry out repairs and were due to be restarted in September 2012 however this was delayed due to concerns from local residents.[7]

Usage

The church is used for regular Sunday services[2] and has also been used to host fund-raising concerts.[8] It was the venue for the 2009 wedding of former Casualty actress Rebekah Gibbs.[9]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Mark's Church, Broadwater Down, Tunbridge Wells.

References
  1. A Church Near You. "Tunbridge Wells, St. Mark (Broadwater Down)". Church of England. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  2. A Church Near You. "St Mark (Broadwater Down), Tunbridge Wells - Kent - Diocese of Rochester". Church of England. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  3. Historic England (7 June 1974). "Church of St Mark (1083780)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  4. "14 Broadwater Down" (PDF). Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. November 2000. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  5. Wilcox, Antony (2004). National Index of Parish Registers, Vol. 4, Part2: Sussex. London: Society of Genealogists. p. 150. ISBN 9781903462836.
  6. Thomas, J. Radford (1883). Pelton's Illustrated Guide to Tunbridge Wells. Tunbridge Wells: Richard Pelton. p. 113. ISBN 1279339381.
  7. "Plan for Tunbridge Wells bells sparks war between residents and clergy | Tunbridge Wells People". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  8. "Limelight at last for No 1". This is Kent. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  9. "Beks' wedding belles; Pals Join Brave Casualty Star on Her Big Day". Daily Mirror (archived by Thefreelibrary.com). Retrieved 1 July 2012.
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