We are here to help people love and worship God. We aim to be, and encourage others to become, committed and active disciples of Jesus,
who love God and worship him, who know the power of the Holy Spirit and who show God’s love in every part of their lives.
Bells
St Mary's has a musical peel of ten bells plus the small sanctus bell, but only two have any pretensions to antiquity. The tenor is 14cwt 3 quarters and 16 pounds and has the inscription 'Jesus Be Our Speed 1617' and the 7th bell has a latin inscription and was cast circa 1590. The small Sanctus bell is usually described as "pre-Reformation", and is known locally as 'Tom Tinkler'. This bell is used to summon people to services.
Learn more about St Mary's Bells and the Bell Ringers
Churchyard
To the left of the south door lies part of a broken memorial stone from the demolished village school. It was here that the teacher could neither read nor write and signed her name with an X!
Outside, at the south east end of the church is a very early stone coffin, which contained human bones when it was found in 1769. The earliest marked grave is that of Richard Lorde, who died in the year 1600. He was Vicar of Ecclesfield from 1585-1600.
The churchyard contains the graves of some well known people. They include the eminent historian, Joseph Hunter in the north east corner, and close by, the grave of Henry Jackson, a surgeon at the General Infirmary (later the Sheffield Royal Infirmary) in Sheffield. On the north side of the church is the vault of the Revd Alexander John Scott D.D. He was chaplain to Lord Nelson, who died in his arms on HMS Victory, at the battle of Trafalgar. Dr Scott died at Ecclesfield on a visit to his daughter, Margaret Gatty, wife of Alfred Gatty. The Revd Gatty, his wife and infant sons are also buried in this vault. At the west entrance is a Lychgate, erected
"In memory of Henry John Hawthorn, 44 years Surgeon of this parish".
The war memorial was designed by R.B. Brookgreaves. The sloping base with 54 names represents an altar. The symbols of the evangelists were used to suggest the principles for which the men had sacrificed their lives. On the four crosses are the emblems of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. On the south side are the symbols of passion, and on the north side are the sacred monogram, the 'pelican'– an old symbol of self sacrifice,
and a triangle – the symbol of trinity.
Just outside the main door of the church is a column, on which is a sundial, placed by Margaret Gatty in 1862. The column is thought to have originally supported a cross which was smashed by the Puritans. The motto on the base reads "Watch for ye know not the hour M.G.".
To the north of the church, through the trees, are the 13th century Benedictine Priory and 18th century Old Hall.
St Mary's Church, Priory Road, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S35 9XZ, United Kingdom
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The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish St Marys Ecclesfield - Charity Commission Reg. No. 1144309
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