Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent

St Mary Magdalene Church stands at the heart of Newark-on-Trent, a tall Gothic landmark that rises above the town’s narrow streets. Built on a site occupied by a church for a thousand years, the present building mixes parts from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries. Its west tower, begun around 1220, supports a slender spire that reaches 71 metres in total. The nave and chancel, added in the 15th century, form one of England’s largest parish churches. Simon Jenkins calls the nave a wonder of proportion, and Nikolaus Pevsner traces its breadth to an old Decorated plan. The church has been shaped by major restorations. Sir George Gilbert Scott cleaned and repaired the stonework in the 1850s, removing plaster ceilings and laying patterned Minton tiles. Sir Ninian Comper decorated the chapels around 1920 and 1930, and the spire was struck by lightning in 1894 before being restored. A ring of ten bells cast in 1842 still sounds from the tower. The clock, first recorded in 1627, now shows Westminster Quarters on four large dials. Inside, the central piers date from the 11th or 12th century, while the nave and chancel span the 14th and 15th centuries. A Dance of Death painting and a fine 14th-century brass survive among the monuments. Above the south porch, a library given in 1698 holds books, and a painting by William Hilton hangs on the north wall. The chapel of St George and the chapel of the Holy Spirit display fittings by Caroe and Comper. The church remains an active place of worship, with nine weekly services and community programmes.