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St Mary's

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St Mary's is a large Grade I listed early-fifteenth century building in the Lace Market with seating for up to 700 people and a member of the Greater Churches Group. The fabric is in good repair. A £250,000 restoration of the exterior between 15 and 20 years ago replaced decaying stonework and large sections of the roofing. In 2003 the electrical services were completely renewed. The churchyard, perimeter walls and railings are maintained by Nottingham City Council under an agreement which gives public access to the churchyard during the day.

St Mary's is the Civic Church to the City of Nottingham. A service to welcome the new Lord Mayor of Nottingham is held each year, as is the Civic Carol Service. The local judiciary attend a service to mark the start of the legal year and other organisations including The University of Nottingham and Nottingham High School also hold services in the church.

Because of its large capacity, St Mary’s provides an invaluable resource for all sorts of special occasions which require plenty of space (see also Cultural Engagement with the City). For many years the city centre was not a residential area. New apartments in former Lace Market factories have attracted new residents into the parish but many travel out of the city at weekends so the congregation remains almost entirely eclectic. Most of the Sunday congregation is from the suburbs, drawn by the architecture, the choral style or the traditional language and formal liturgy. Visiting preachers from cathedrals, churches and academic institutions are a feature of services in Lent and at other special services. The two principal Sunday services and Evensong on Wednesdays are usually choral with a wide variety of music sung to a high standard. The organ and choral scholarship scheme attracts tertiary level students, some of whom remain in the choir after completing their education.

Overall, the congregation of typically 75 to 90 is more of a mixture socioeconomically than is often imagined including higher proportions of single adults than average. It is particularly true of Choral Evensong that a high proportion of the congregation will be occasional visitors.

Mid-week services and lunchtime concerts accommodate city workers and shoppers.

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