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Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's (Grid reference: ) is a minster and the parish church of Cheltenham. ==Background== The Minster is the only surviving medieval building in Cheltenham. It has been in continuous use for 850 years, though between 1859 and 1877 it was closed intermittently for repairs. It is believed to have replaced a Saxon church erected on this site in the 8th century. In the Domesday Book the church and its land (the rectory) were recorded as belonging to William the Conqueror's chancellor, Regenbald also known as Reinbald, who then bequeathed it to Cirencester Abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII it became crown property during the English Reformation. The crown property was sold by James I & VI and went through a succession of different owners (lay rectors) until 1863 when Edward Walker took possession of the chancel and the title of rector. Parts of the church represent the Early English style of architecture, but thanks to later extensions it is the decorated style which predominates. The former north porch is Early Perpendicular and boasts a good example of lierne vaulting. The tracery of the windows is reflects architectural developments between 1250 and 1350. The stained glass of the windows is late Victorian and regarded as of particularly high quality. The woodwork is Victorian or later, and the south porch is a late Victorian addition. A notable feature of the church is the spire and bell tower which contains a (peal of twelve bells ). The upper part of the tower dates from 1200 and the broach spire was added early in the fourteenth century. The tracery of most of the windows is varied and dates from around 1250 to 1350. The church boasts a number of interesting memorials, including one to Captain Henry Skillicorne, the developer of Cheltenham's first spa. It also commemorates King George III's visit to Cheltenham in 1788 when he attended a number of services in St Mary's. There is also a touching memorial to a former priest, John English, who was imprisoned by the Puritans. The church is a Grade I listed building.〔(【引用サイトリンク】Name: Cheltenham Minster (St Mary's) List entry Number: 1386792 )〕 Its most famous incumbent (perpetual curate) was Francis Close, a keen Evangelical, who was a follower of Charles Simeon. Close was the perpetual curate of the church for thirty years and a founder of two teacher training colleges which later became the University of Gloucestershire. He moved on to become Dean of Carlisle in 1856. For most of its history St Mary's Church served a population of less than 1,500 and was a prominent feature of the landscape. But extensive building occurred during the Regency period in the early 19th century and as a result the church is now hidden behind shops and offices. In Victorian times a number of new churches were built to cope with Cheltenham's rapidly expanding population. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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