The original St Mary’s Church on New Road was built in 1859/60 to serve the parishes of Eastfield, Boongate and Newark from where the tram would have been returning.
Sadly, the old church fell into a gradual state of disrepair and the last serving vicar, Rev. James Bates – who just happened to have experience in the building trade, saw the opportunity to sell off the church and its prime location land in order to fund a new St Mary’s on the site and, after a final service in the old church on 22nd October 1989, work began on the new building which opened in late 1991.
