Church of St Mark

St Mark’s Church stands in Leicester’s town centre as a Grade II* listed building of the Church of England. Built between 1870 and 1872, it was designed by Ewan Christian and paid for by William Perry-Herrick. Firn of Leicester laid the foundations while Osbourne of Leicester raised the walls. James Nichols supervised the work and Taylor of Loughborough supplied the bells. The clock came from Moore of Clerkenwell, London, and the consecration took place on Saint Mark’s Day 1872. The church’s interior carries the marks of several notable craftsmen. Ward and Hughes created the original chancel windows in 1872. Later, Henry Holiday added glass in the south-east chapel in 1893 and Charles Eamer Kempe produced windows in the north-east chapel in 1895. Ernest Charles Shearman completed the west end in 1903, and James Eadie Reid painted the apse with “The Triumph and Apotheosis of Labour” in 1910. Canon H.J. Burfield served as its first incumbent from 1872 to 1883. After becoming redundant in 1986, the building stood empty until 2005 when it reopened as the Empire Banqueting Hall. The William Hill & Sons organ of 1871 remains in place, and the stained glass and painted apse survive intact. Visitors now find a grand Victorian interior adapted for modern events while retaining its historic character.