Pocket Number 27: St Mary’s Church

The parish church of St Mary’s is a green, medieval oasis surrounded by roundabouts, and sandwiched between The Arndale mall and University of Bedfordshire.

I emailed the church’s enquiries inbox and explained about my project and Ulrike soon replied and we arranged to meet one Wednesday morning in January.

Ulrike is a senior administrator at the church. She poured me coffee and we discussed about living and working in Luton, the history of St Mary’s Church; and where Luton Castle used to be. She said castle was likely located where the university is now and adjoining the River Lea. The River Lea currently runs under the ground near the church and emerges nearby at one of the roundabouts. She told me that when the church was first founded, around 900 years ago, Danelaw prevailed on one side of the river Lea and Anglo-Saxon law on the other.

Ulrike then took me to see places of note around the church.

We started at the Wenlock family chapel on the north side of the church. There is a double-arched screen under which William Wenlock and Lady Alice Rotherham are entombed.

The Wenlocks have certainly featured prominently in [25] Pockets of [Luton]. At Stockwood Park museum I was sent to see the Wenlock jug and John Wenlock was mentioned as owning Someries Castle.

John Wenlock is portrayed in one of the church’s stain glass windows and the piscine in the Wenlock chapel is etched with Sir Wenlock’s battle cry ‘HOLA!’.

During the War of the Roses John Wenlock switched sides five times, earning him the nickname ‘prince of turncoats’. His luck eventually ran out when he picked the wrong team and he shouted out his last ‘Hola!’ at the battle of Tewkesbury.

Ulrike pointed out a special seat in the chapel which was sat on by Queen Elizabeth on a number of occasions.

Ulrike said the queen had visited the church on a number of occasions throughout the years and always sat in that particular seat.

The tour continued. Ulrike showed me the octagonal stone Baptistry. She informed me that the Queen, (Philippa of Hainaut) gifted it to the people of Luton to encourage their spirits, following the black death. I later learned that it is the only Baptistry in England with a walk-in stone canopy surrounding it.

Ulrike said she found the baptistry took on a special resonance during the recent COVID pandemic insofar as it linked back to Luton enduring and recovering from previous public health emergencies.

Continuing the tour, Ulrike pointed out a gargoyle face which looks rather like King Henry VIII sticking his tongue out.

Also, she took me to see a part of a wing that had been set aside for lepers and people of ill health to be able to attend and hear the sermons without contaminating anyone. The doors had their own stain glass showing Jesus healing the lepers, which I found to be a nice touch.

Ulrike then signed my frame and left me to look around the church. Before too long, a gentleman called Michael introduced himself and gave me further insights into the church.

He told me the abstract stain glass of the south transept window was designed by Alan Younger and is meant to represent Mary’s emotional “explosion of happiness” and “outpouring of gratitude” when discovering she was pregnant with Christ.

He noted that in the late 19th century, a vicar called James O’Neil pushed through a big refurbishment of the chancel and the east end of the church, and fixed the roof. There are also designs in mosaic: and a representation of the “Last Supper” by Leonardo de Vinci.