Join us for sketching inside one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the country - Cambridge's Church of Our Lady of The Assumption and The English Martyrs (know colloquially as the Catholic Church) which dominates Hills Road with its 65m high spire. The church was built between 1885 and 1890 to commemorate the Catholic Martyrs who died between 1535 and 1681, over thirty of whom had been in residence at the University.
As this is a church, there are a few things to remember:
- Be very quiet at all times as the church is open for prayers and confessions (no whispering permitted)
- Switch mobile phones on silent
- There are no toilet facilities available
We'll meet at 11am outside the church before going inside (of course you can choose to brave the cold and draw outside if you wish). We'll meet back at the same location at 1pm to share our work and take a group photo. After that join us for some post sketching socialising, food, and drink.
Below is some interior description to help you with choosing a subject to draw, taken from the information here which has further detail on the stained glass and gargoyles: https://olem.org.uk/our-history
It's a traditional cruciform structure in the early-decorated style with a large tower at the crossing, a polygonal apse and a west bell tower with a 65-metre spire. Inside and over the west door stands the figure of Our Lady of the Assumption crowned with lilies and standing on the crescent moon with the vanquished serpent beneath. The west window shows the English Martyrs arranged in two principal groups, the clergy on the south side with St John Fisher in their midst and the laity on the north grouped round St Thomas More.
Beside the South aisle is an ancient statue of Our Lady with the Child Jesus. This statue is understood to be a gift in 1850 from Emmanuel College, which was built on the site of a Dominican Priory dating back to 1274. The Chapel of the Holy Souls with the book of Remembrance is located at the west end of the south aisle. The sculpture above the altar depicts the solace and relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
The aisle windows were almost completely destroyed when the church was struck by a bomb on 1941, but were subsequently replaced in their original form. They epitomise the various sufferings of the English Martyrs, their being brought before the Council, racked, hung, drawn and quartered in the sight and sympathy of the faithful.
The best general impression of the interior is obtained from the gateway in the iron screen dividing the nave from the ante-chapel. The heads of the four great preachers of Our Lady’s Graces are carved in the four corners of the nave. The windows along the nave represent saints connected with the Church in Britain, arranged approximately in chronological order from east to west with a few additional figures in the eastern windows.
The cross, inspired by that at Nuremberg, is about 6 metres high, carved in oak; the figures of Christ and of Our Lady and of Saint John are of Kauri pine. They were carved locally by Mr. B. Maclean Leach and completed and blessed in 1914. Beyond the present, modern altar is the High Altar with the relics of Saints Felix and Constantia, martyrs of the early Church. The tabernacle and ornaments of the altar are of exquisite French workmanship from Lyons.
The event is free but does not include food, drink, or art materials. Everyone is welcome whether you've just started to draw or have been a professional artist for many years. We look forward to seeing you there.
