St Mary the Virgin, Mortlake
The first recorded church in the village of Mortlake was erected in (or shortly after) 1348 under licence from Edward III. The church stood near the Manor House, on the site of the present brewery, for nearly two hundred years. In 1543 it was replaced by a church on the present site. This 1543 building has undergone many alterations and enlargements during its long history, and of the original Tudor church, only the tower remains.
It is believed the tower was constructed using stone from the first church, supplemented with other stone and brickwork to the upper tiers and staircase. The fourth tier was given its current form in 1796, when the belfry was refaced in stock brick with a plain parapet.
The cupola, on the top of the tower, is thought to be original, though it would have been repaired many times over the centuries. The weathercock on top dates from 1678. Inside the cupola is a bell on which the hours are struck. It bears the date 1712, and was presumably installed with the first tower clock. The present clock was made by John Moore & Son of Clerkenwell, in 1838.
Major works to the tower were completed in 2010. These works included the rebuilding of the north-west buttress, repairs to the roof and cupola, a new boiler system and the installation of a new spiral staircase, which now allows easy access to the roof, belfry, clock chamber and ringing chamber. The original stairs had been removed in 1850, when heating was first installed in the church.
The brick built extension on the north side of the building was the Vestry House. Thought to have been completed in 1670, it effectively provided a North Aisle to the church. Alterations were made in 1816 to extend the North Aisle westwards to its present position.
The first major alteration to the original Tudor Nave was completed in 1725 when the first South Aisle was added to increase the capacity of the church. As the local population continued to grow, it became necessary to expand the size of the church further, and in 1840 the Nave, side aisles and Chancel were extended in the Regency style by Samuel Beachcroft.
The existing Nave and South Aisle were completely reconstructed in 1905/6 by Sir Arthur Blomfield in the early English style, which gives the building its simple, austere yet noble quality.
Dr John Dee
John Dee was one of the most learned scholars of the Elizabethan age and was noted for his interest in alchemy and astrology. Queen Elizabeth I came to Mortlake to consult him on many occasions, travelling by royal barge or on horseback from Richmond Palace. His house stood on the riverside facing the church. Born in 1527, he died in 1609 and is said to be buried in the Chancel of this church. A plaque in memory of Dr Dee was installed in the church in 2013.
The Churchyard
The present churchyard and church were given to the parish by King Henry VIII in 1543. The churchyard was originally much smaller, and was extended to the south in 1742 and 1799 with gifts of land and was the sole burial place for parishioners for over three centuries. It was closed in 1854 when a new cemetery was opened in South Worple Way. A further addition was made in 1950 when some ancient houses along the High Street were demolished.
The earliest surviving tomb is that of John Partridge, the astrologer (d.1715). Other famous people include a Prime Minister, Lord Sidmouth (d.1844), and three Lord Mayors. There are vaults for well-known local families such as the Temples, Gilpins and Penrhyns. Other tombs recall craftsmen and tradesmen, such as the potters Sanders and Kishere, the market gardener Grayson and the Woodliss family of masons, who made many of the headstones. The Information Board near the old arch will help you with further details and show you where to find some of these features.
The Cache
The published coordinates are for the front of the church. You need to check the information board in the churchyard, which is Waypoint 1, and grab some numbers.
Ann Lyte died ABCD
Penrhyn Tomb EFGH
N51 28. A(B-C)G
W000 15. (F-E)HG
The final location has changed on July 31st 2021 due to vandalism of the previous container. The cache is now very close to the church as nearby caches made it difficult to find a hiding place somewhere else, but I kept it as a multi so I wouldn't have to archive it to create it as a traditional. If you have solved the cache before please send me your final coordinates and I'll update you with the new ones so you don't need to solve again.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.co.uk.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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