Country United Kingdom Churchmanship Broad Church Bells 6 Parish Blyth Heritage designation Listed building | Denomination Church of England Dedication St Mary & St Martin Deanery Bassetlaw & Bawtry Bell 6 | |
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Diocese Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Similar Hodsock Priory, Morpeth railway station, Cramlington railway station, Coronation Chair | ||
St. Mary and St. Martin’s Church, Blyth, is a Grade I listed parish church in Blyth, Nottinghamshire, England.
Contents
Priory
The priory of St. Mary and St. Martin is one of the oldest examples of Norman architecture in the country. It was part of a Benedictine monastery founded in 1088. This priory was founded by Roger de Builli of Tickhill Castle, one of William the Conqueror's followers.
The founder and later benefactors endowed Blyth with lands, money and churches. It was staffed at first by monks from the Mother House, Holy Trinity Priory at Rouen France. In 1286 Thomas Russel had to be returned to Rouen because of his intolerable conduct and also John de Belleville, as the climate did not suit him. There are other records of the unruly conduct of French monks.
During a visitation of the priory in 1536 it was alleged that five of the monks were guilty of grave offences and it was surrendered. George Dalton, the Prior, received a pension of twenty marks, and this seems to have been the only pension awarded. The net annual income at the date of the surrender was £180. (equivalent to £100,000 as of 2015),
Parish Church
After the Dissolution the east part of the church was demolished and a tower built at the west end of the nave.
There was a restoration in 1885 by C. Hodgson Fowler.
Organ
A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Viral video
The church gained notoriety after a video of a flash mob wedding held in the church was posted on YouTube on June 21, 2013.