Image ID: 21101

St Mary's Church, Edwinstowe

Church Street
Edwinstowe
England

The interior of the church looking east down the nave towards the altar and east window (which shows the Crucifixion of Christ in the centre light, and the Last Supper, and Resurrection on either side). The church is home to the 'Sherwood Foot Measure', the 'foot' measure used for measuring forest lands, which is actually 1 1/2 ft long. This attractive village church originally dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Popular folklore tells us that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were married at the door of the parish church of St. Mary, as was traditional at the time. The chancel screen has a series of paintings depicting the event. The village is the centre of all things Robin Hood around Sherwood and is well worth a visit, if only to see the statue of Robin proposing to his lady. The impressive broach spire was added to the Norman Tower in 1400 and is 46 metres (140ft) high. The eight ornamental turrets date from about 1600. The spire has been struck by lightning three times, and it collapsed in c 1672 causing considerable damage. The villagers petitioned King Charles II to be allowed to sell timber from the Royal Forest to raise money to repair the church. Edwinstowe is named after King Edwin of Northumbria who was killed at the Battle of Hatfield in AD 633, just a mile and a half to the west of the village. His body was buried in a forest clearing and St. Mary's Church later built around it (the Royal body was later re-interred at Whitby Abbey).

Date: 1905

Organisation Reference: NCCW000385

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