St Mary the Virgin
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
St Mary’s is as good an introduction to the development of Gothic architecture through the ages as you are likely to find anywhere.
The abbey church became a place of pilgrimage after relics of the Welsh Saint Winefride were brought here. It remained important until the Dissolution, when the east end was demolished, leaving the nave to serve as a parish church. Fortunately the mighty Norman tower survived.
The west doorway, at its base, would seem remarkable in any other church, but here it is eclipsed by the astonishing Perpendicular window above it, which almost spans the entire width of the tower with its seven lights and ornate tracery. The statue at the top depicts Edward III. Plans for a substantial 19th century restoration of the Abbey Church resulted in the successful rebuilding of the chancel in 1887, but the rest of the work was not completed.
Most of the interior fittings and furnishings, such as the monuments, have come from other churches in Shrewsbury or farther afield. The font is reputedly made from a Roman capital from nearby Wroxeter. Among the names on the war memorial in the church is that of Wilfred Owen, the World War I poet.