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St Mary's was built in 1871-78 as an estate church in the grounds of Studley Park. The designer of the building and its furnishings was William Burges; the client was the Marchioness of Ripon, whose body lies in a tomb in a chantry chapel in the south aisle.

It has been described as "a major work of the Victorian Gothic Revival", being in 14th century style. No expense was spared in its construction, with expensive stones such as Purbeck marble, alabaster and mosaics. Surprisingly for the time, no pews were included, which helps to give the already large building an extra air of spaciousness.

The church closed for public worship in 1970, at which time Studley Royal park was owned by the West Riding County Council. Since 1975 the church has been in the care of English Heritage, and the park, now a World Heritage Site, is owned by the National Trust. Both park and church are grade 1 listed (list entry for the church 1315267).

A collection of photographs taken around noon on New Year's Day 2020 by Geographers from all over Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man. View all the photos on a map here: Link