Church of Mary de Castro, Leicester

The Church of Saint Mary de Castro—literally, "Saint Mary of the Castle"—is a historic parish church standing near Leicester Castle. Founded in 1107, its origins trace back to King Henry I, who seized the castle and surrounding lands from a rebellious noble and granted them to Robert de Beaumont. Some legends, however, suggest that a Saxon church dedicated to Saint Mary predated the Norman structure. The church functioned as a collegiate institution until 1548 when Henry VIII dissolved its college.

The earliest version of the church had no aisles, but a major expansion in the 1160s introduced a north aisle, additional doorways, and an extended chancel. The church is well known for its Norman zigzag-decorated doorways, particularly the Sedilia and Piscina, which architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner praised as the "finest piece of Norman decoration in the county." A 13th-century renovation saw the widening of the south aisle, making it even broader than the nave, and the addition of the large east window with intricate tracery completed around 1300.

The church tower, an architectural afterthought, was built inside the south aisle. It features decorated pinnacles and a quatrefoil frieze, culminating in a needlelike spire. The spire, originally from the 14th century, was rebuilt in 1783 but suffered structural failure in 2013, with six-metre cracks detected in four of its faces. Deemed at risk of collapse, the spire was demolished in 2014, and despite extensive fundraising, there are insufficient funds for its reconstruction.

Inside, the church houses a three-manual pipe organ installed in 1860 by Forster and Andrews. Over time, it underwent modifications by Joshua Porritt (1880) and R. J. Winn (1960). The organ's specification is recorded in the National Pipe Organ Register.

Despite the loss of its iconic spire, Saint Mary de Castro remains an important historic and spiritual landmark in Leicester, reflecting nearly a millennium of architectural evolution and local history.