About St. Mary's

The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Barnsley

St. Mary's is the civic church of Barnsley and provides a place of worship, peace and quiet in the town centre.

The foundations of the building date from the 8th century.  The tower from the 15th century.  The basis of the present structure was built in 1822.  By 1870 the church had the shape it has today.

The war memorial chapel dates from 1919.

The building is now a Grade II* listed building.  More more details refer to Pevsner Yorkshire Volume Edition 2.

St. Mary's is home to a Father Smith Organ Case.  Father Smith was appointed royal organ builder by King Charles II.

St. Mary's was originally in the ancient parish of Silkstone but as trade routes developed, the settlement in Barnsley became the main commercial centre, whilst Silkstone remain agricultural and the importance of St. Mary's grew.

It is thought that St. Mary's may have once been St. Helen's.  Indeed, the Feast of St. Helen became the centre of Barnsley life - I'm sure many readers are familiar with Feast Week where at one time practicably the whole town would despatch to Blackpool in the same week!