Visit Us

A warm welcome to the Parish of St Mary Magdalene with St Leonard.

St Mary’s is situated in the heart of historic Newark, and dates back more than 800 years.
Breath-taking architecture and beautiful art and design can be found throughout this ancient church.

Visit us and enjoy a moment of peace and tranquillity in the midst of a bustling market town.

“by far the finest parish church in the county of Nottingham”

Rev. J F Dimock M.A. 1855

A stained glass Royal coat of arms
A group of youn children sat around a table smiling and colouring in while a woman smiles and looks on
A group of people stood looking at an object on the floor with a woman explaining the object
A man playing the guitar and singing
Tall stone arches lit with bright purple light
A brightly coloured stained glass window
A brightly coloured fragmented stained glass with some words and some coloured panes
A large room framed by wooden pews and tall stone arches
A group of people stood outside with their backs to the camera facing a man who is talking to them
A young boy wearing white and red robes smiling at the camera

Come Rest a Moment

by Leanne Moden

  • Come Rest a Moment

    for St Mary’s Church

    I know a place where we can rest awhile,

    where sunlight streams through shards of coloured glass.

    A sanctuary, built in Gothic style;

    a glorious reminder of the past.

    This great, imposing edifice of stone

    belies the gentle solace found within.

    A quiet spot to sit and be alone;

    the cooling shade, like water on the skin.

    Come breathe the tranquil scent. Embrace the calm

    of momentary stillness, amplified.

    The comfort of the silence is a balm

    to sooth against the ceaseless haste outside.

    A peaceful moment, borrowed from the past.

    A sunbeam filtered through the coloured glass.

As part of Newark Book Festival in 2021, poet Leanne Moden was commissioned by Newark Creates to write poems inspired by Newark’s Heritage buildings around the Market Place to make a Heritage Poetry Trail.

Are you inspired by this beautiful poem? Then download the poems, and the activity trail to follow the trail yourself!

Newark Creates is a cultural programme that originally formed part of Newark’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone between 2021-March 2024. During this time Newark Creates hosted 353 events/workshops, reaching over 774,000 people, with 2878 participants and 160 volunteers.