By Barry Richardson

My latest fortnightly visit to St Mary Magdalene revealed a series of quiet surprises woven through the steady progress of Re-Awakening. 

By Barry Richardson

Not all doors are carved in oak or framed in stone. Some glow quietly on screens, others open in the heart. At St Mary’s, every door—visible or unseen—is being opened anew through the lens of accessibility…

By Barry Richardson

This week's visit to St Mary’s revealed a fresh shift of activity. The external scaffolding on the North side has been largely removed, and the pace of activity within the building is unmistakably gathering momentum.

By Barry Richardson

Last week, I wrote about a vivid moment: the morning sun casting a kaleidoscope of colour across the walls of St Mary’s. It made me wonder—why do churches have stained glass?

By Barry Richardson

This week’s visit to St Mary’s felt very different. It was not just a progress review (a.k.a. a nosey wander) but something more intimate - a reunion with an old and dearly loved friend.

By Barry Richardson

This week's blog is titled by a phrase many will know, supposedly originating in Yorkshire, and I invite you to take it quite literally because within St Mary Magdalene, Newark currently there’s certainly lots of dust (muck), and there is definitely some nationally significant brass…

By Barry Richardson

This week, we're returning to the present day, with a progress update of work inside St. Mary’s…

By Barry Richardson

This week, I’m walking with St Mary’s through time…

By Barry Richardson

Metalwork plays an important part in this week's blog, for its help in beautifying St. Mary’s, and the damage caused to stonework…

By Diana McNee and Linda Bennett

Diana and Linda here, sharing some reflections while exploring the developments of our Parish Church renovations during last Friday’s hard hat tour.

By Barry Richardson

The Re-Awakening Project at St. Mary's includes an extension to the Crossing – the central area of the nave where the church extends in all four directions…

By Barry Richardson

Following last week’s internal building progress update, we return to look at why St Mary’s is considered such an outstanding piece of mediaeval architecture by highlighting the Chantries, which indirectly circle back to the Re-Awakening Project…

By Barry Richardson

This week's Blog delivers a "Re-Awakening" internal building progress update…

By Barry Richardson

I've been thinking about the factors that led to St. Mary's inclusion on Historic England's 'At Risk Register'…

By Barry Richardson

During a recent site visit, I wondered whether we’ve been here before….

By Chrissie Van Mierlo

While most people are now aware of extensive refurbishment works happening at St Mary’s…

By Barry Richardson

I recently had the opportunity to join a group of volunteers for another internal viewing of ongoing building works within St Mary's…

By Kay Bellhouse

St Mary Magdalene’s church spire can be seen for miles around Newark, a beacon welcoming us to the market town of Newark.

By Barry Richardson

Earlier this year, I read this St. Mary's Re-Awakening blog and saw the call for a new blogger…

By Revd Danny Marshall, Curate

“It’s an exciting time to join us.” I remember these words from the Autumn of 2022 when I was first asked to consider the possibility of a curacy at St Mary Magdalene with St Leonard.