Wrexham Town Walk : St Mary's Cathedral

St Mary's Cathedral

Between the Reformation in Tudor times and the 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act, Catholics suffered varied but continual discrimination. Initially Wrexham's Catholics met near Seven Bridges Lane, now Market Street, to worship.

One of Wrexham's Catholics was Richard Thompson, ironmaster and colliery owner. He built the first Roman Catholic Chapel in the town in 1828 in King Street, but only after tricking the owner into selling as he would not sell to a catholic. Thompson opened the chapel upstairs, while passing the building off as his home.

The 1829 Act was greeted by rioting in Wrexham. In 1857 Richard Thompson completed the building of the first Catholic Church in Wrexham in memory of his wife. Pugin lent a hand in the design. Since its opening it has become the seat of the Bishop of Wrexham.

Leave the Cathedral grounds and cross Regent St at the pedestrian crossing. Walk round the corner into Grosvenor Road and stop outside No 2 Grosvenor Road. No 2 is opposite the Cathedral.

Proceed to The Infirmary >>

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