Perfect Pizza -- Pizza In Luton
Pizza In Luton -- If you are a religious pilgrim, an architect, a historian, or simply a curious tourist, the town of Luton is home to one of the largest and oldest Christian edifices in the area of Bedfordshire, England. This edifice is the famous St. Mary’s Church, an Anglican church under the care of the St Albans diocese.
St. Mary’s Church has been around for more than 850 years, but the site where it is built upon has been a sacred gathering place for early English Christians for more than 1,000 years. Back in the medieval ages, people would gather in the area to pray and hold communion, worshiping and giving thanks to Jesus Christ and the saints.
For a long time the area stood empty, but after King Athelstan the Glorious secured a victory over the Danes, he decided to commission St. Mary’s Church as an act of thanksgiving to God. The land where the church was built upon was then owned by the King of Saxon, who gladly bestowed the church with riches and his blessings. In 930 AD, they erected and completed the church.
Moving forward to the 12th Century, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester decided to build and improve the medieval church made by King Athelstan, moving it to the church’s current site. It was simple and had no aisles, and was long and narrow. Building churches in the shape of the cross was a common tradition during the dark ages, as the cross symbolized the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. St. Mary’s Church was consecrated in 1137, and was one of the largest buildings in the area.
In the 14th Century, the church eventually became even more glorious, as it was expanded with new arches, a tower, and a new chapel on the east side of the edifice. It was given a canopy of carved stone, painstakingly decorated with panels that feature intricate leaf engravings.
As the 15th Century approached, the church was now falling into a state of disrepair. It underwent a long period of restoration and rebuilding, extending the sacristy and the chapel, and rebuilding the tower to make it taller. All the windows were replaced and renewed, and the chapel was renamed to Wenlock Chapel in honor of the benefactor responsible for the restorations. Lord John Wenlock has had a close connection to the church since 1389, and wanted to bring it back to its former glory. To remind people of his accomplishment, one of the windows of the Wenlock chapel features a delicate and exquisite piece of stained glass featuring an image of Sir John Wenlock himself.
Now entering the modern era, St Mary’s Church eventually needed to be restored again. The weather worn walls were covered with a distinctive flint and stone checker pattern, giving the church a stark and almost whimsical appearance. A clock tower was installed in 1901, but eventually broke down during the late 70s. However, restoration efforts brought the clock back to working condition on the 11th day of November 1999.
With its rich history, St. Mary’s Church is one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in the Bedfordshire area. It features tall windows and an iconic checker board face, and is still visited by tourists and historians alike. The church is still in operation, and remains a popular wedding venue and house of worship. Large projection screens have been installed inside to facilitate the homily, and a heating system has also been included so that it can hold services even in the dead of winter.
Once you have experienced the beauty of this unique church, you might want to just sit back and relax in the courtyard, and perhaps have a picnic with a nice slice of pizza. The pizza in Luton is just perfect to bring along on a field trip to St. Mary’s Church, as long as you do not eat inside the structure itself, especially during mass. Otherwise, just enjoy yourself and marvel at this triumph of architecture and human spirituality in Pizza In Luton.
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