St Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church, Warwick
St. Mary Immaculate is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the town of Warwick, England. It lies to the south west of the town on West Street outside the West Gate. The church was opened on 12 May 1860.[1] The architect was Edward Welby Pugin,[1] eldest son of the more famous Augustus Pugin. The church is built in red brick and Bath stone in the Decorated Gothic style and is a Grade II listed building. St Mary Immaculate was probably the first church in England to be dedicated to the Immaculate Conception after the definition of the dogma in 1854.[1]
| St Mary Immaculate, Warwick | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's Church from West Street | |
  St Mary Immaculate, Warwick | |
| 52.2785°N 1.5916°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP 2796064565 |
| Location | Warwick, Warwickshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 24 February 1993 |
| Architect(s) | E. W. Pugin |
| Style | Decorated Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Birmingham |
During the First World War (1914–1918) J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of over 56 books, including The Lord of the Rings, married parishioner Edith Mary Bratt in the church on 22 March 1916.[2]
The church is linked to St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School which was originally next to the church. This building is now the church hall and St. Mary Immaculate Catholic primary school occupies a much larger site next to Priory park.
References
- Barbour, Ruth (2009). Catholic Warwick. Birmingham: Archdiocese of Birmingham Historical Commission. ISBN 1-871269-27-X.
- Carpenter, Humphrey (1977). Tolkien: A Biography. New York: allantine Books. ISBN 0-04-928037-6.
