Symbolism

‘The beauty and holiness of St Mary’s is God’s gift.
It reflects in stone and wood
the love of God for all creation.’
Brother Gregory
SSF

The carvings within St Mary’s tell many stories. The symbolic language of the church refers to death, rebirth and eternity, drawing upon Christian, pagan and personal references.

A family friend of the Loshes, Major William Thain, was killed in the Afghan war of 1842 and decorative arrows remind us of his death. Before he died he sent a pinecone to Sara and the cone, a classical symbol of eternal life, is seen in many forms throughout the church from door handles to candle holders.

The chrysalis and butterfly, a favourite motif of Sara’s, are symbols of resurrection whilst angels trampling over bats and dragons tell of the triumph of light over darkness.

Even the windows with their rich mosaic stained glass and unique fossil designs have hidden meanings. Arranged in threes, fours and sevens they recall the Trinity, the elements and the gifts of the spirit. There are 84 windows in total – the product of 3 x 4 x 7.