St Mary's Church, Derby

St Mary’s Church stands on Bridge Gate in Derby, overlooking St Alkmund’s Way. Designed by A. W. N. Pugin, it is one of his few complete works and a Grade II* listed building. Pugin’s Gothic Revival style first appeared here in 1837 when he replaced a small Gothic chapel in Chapel Street. His original plan included a 100-foot spire, but budget cuts meant it was never built. The foundation stone was laid in July 1838, and the church opened on 9 October 1839 with Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman preaching. Pugin himself donated the wood sedilia in the sanctuary. The church has seen several changes since then. A chapel to Our Lady of Lourdes was added in 1850, and a floodlit statue of Mary once crowned the tower. In the late 1960s, the demolition of St Alkmund’s Church exposed St Mary’s to view for the first time in over a century. Later restorations in 1988–89 and the late 1990s repaired damage, re-roofed the Lady Chapel, and cleaned the interior and exterior. A new footbridge across the inner ring road now links the church to the city centre. Inside, the sanctuary retains Pugin’s original wood sedilia. The Lady Chapel, added in 1932, features stonework both inside and out. The church’s Gothic arches and plasterwork reflect Pugin’s vision, though damp once caused damage that later restorations addressed. The tower no longer holds the statue of Mary, but the building remains a landmark in Derby. Its position on Bridge Gate gives views over St Alkmund’s Way, where the footbridge now carries pedestrians past the church.