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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · Central Scotland

St Mary's Collegiate Church

Norman & medievalFree admission

St Mary's Collegiate Church — church in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, UK.

St Mary's Collegiate Church, historic churches in Central Scotland

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Drem · 5.8 km
  • Free entry

About

St Mary's Collegiate Church is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1401. Built in the Gothic architecture style. Heritage designation: category A listed building. Named after Mary. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 55.9533°, -2.7720°.

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Heritage listing

The Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Church of Scotland parish church in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. Building work on the church was started in 1380, and further building and rebuilding has taken place up to the present day. It is the longest church in Scotland, at 206 feet (62.8 metres) from east to west, and is in the early Gothic style.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Church of Scotland parish church in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. Building work on the church was started in 1380, and further building and rebuilding has taken place up to the present day. It is the longest church in Scotland, at 206 feet (62.8 metres) from east to west, and is in the early Gothic style.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

The interior of the church is notable for the extensive sexpartite vaulting. The pulpit and font were both designed by Glaswegian sculptor, William Birnie Rhind in 1891. In the north choir aisle there is an ancient sculpture of Haddington Burgh arms, discovered in the north transept, during the 1970s restoration. The east wall of the south transept houses a memorial to William Seton, Provost of Haddington, erected in 1682. In the late 1980s a new pipe organ was commissioned, and installed in 1990 on a gallery within the north transept. The tower of St Mary's had been silent since 1548, when the English army removed the three bells extant. In 1999 the church acquired a set of eight bells,…

Description

The cruciform church is located in a large open churchyard, at some distance from the town centre. The church is built on a scale becoming of a cathedral. It is of a uniform and consistent design, that suggests a clear adherence to the original plans. Having been desecrated during the sixteenth century, the nave of the church and the tower were repaired for use by the congregation, this part being subject to various restorations in subsequent centuries. A comprehensive renovation of the whole church was carried out in the 1970s.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.9533, -2.7720
District
East Lothian
Postcode
EH41 4AS
Parliamentary constituency
Lothian East
Established
1401
Nearest railway station
Drem5.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Mary's Collegiate Church?
St Mary's Collegiate Church is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH41 4AS).
When was St Mary's Collegiate Church built?
Built or established in 1401.
Is St Mary's Collegiate Church a listed building?
St Mary's Collegiate Church is officially recognised as category A listed building listed.
Is St Mary's Collegiate Church free to visit?
Yes, St Mary's Collegiate Church is free to enter.
How do I get to St Mary's Collegiate Church?
The nearest railway station is Drem, about 5.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH41 4AS.