The War Memorial at St Mary Magdalene’s
The cast iron crucifix outside St Mary Magdalene’s is a rare sight in England, a striking First World War memorial inspired by open-air crucifixion scenes more common in Western Europe. Recently restored, it was designed by Martin Travers (1886–1948), one of the leading church artists of his time, despite being personally agnostic. Travers also created the Lady Altar in 1923, in memory of Father Bleaden, the church’s second vicar. An earlier Gothic Revival altar by Ninian Comper had been installed beneath the south aisle, but by the 1920s, tastes had shifted. Travers, once Comper’s assistant, replaced it with a rich Neo-Baroque design. To enhance the view of the High Altar, Travers re-designed the east end of the church. He raised the chancel with a new marble floor and added the elegant marble balustrade that still lines the sanctuary today.
Trained at the Royal College of Art under architect Arthur Pite, Travers brought theatrical flair and architectural confidence to church design. Soon after his work at St Mary Magdalene’s, he returned to the RCA, this time as a teacher of stained glass, shaping a new generation of artists until his death in 1948.
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