Church of St John the Baptist, Hatch Beauchamp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St John the Baptist |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Hatch Beauchamp |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°59′08″N 2°59′25″W / 50.9856°N 2.9902°W |
The Church of St John the Baptist in Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset, England, is a very old and important building. It was built during the Norman period, which was a long time ago, around the 11th and 12th centuries. Because it's so special, it has been given a Grade I listed building status. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country and is protected.
Contents
The Church Tower
The church has a tall tower that was built around the year 1500. This tower has three main levels, or "stages." The top of the tower looks a bit like a castle wall, with a crenellated design. This means it has solid parts and gaps, just like a castle.
Tower Decorations
The tower is decorated with many interesting features:
- Pointy tops: It has crocketed pinnacles, which are decorative, pointy spires at the corners.
- Fancy walls: There's a special wall at the top called a pierced parapet. This wall has decorative holes shaped like quatrefoils, which are like four-leaf clovers.
- Stone figures: You can also see gargoyles, which are carved stone figures that stick out from the walls. They were originally used to drain rainwater away from the building.
- Animal carvings: Look closely and you might spot "hunky punks" of dogs carved into the stonework. These are fun, quirky animal carvings.
Tower Support
To help the tower stand strong, it has diagonal buttresses. These are strong supports built against the walls. Usually, churches have angle buttresses, but this church has a unique diagonal design. These supports go up to the bell tower level and then have smaller, separate pillars that rise even higher, forming part of the corner decorations.
Church Restoration
The church was updated and repaired in the 1800s during what is known as the Victorian restoration. In 1867, a famous architect named George Gilbert Scott added extra sections to the north and south sides of the church.
A Special Window
Inside the church, there is a window that remembers a brave soldier named Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard. He was an English soldier who lived from 1847 to 1897. He won the Victoria Cross, which is the highest award for bravery in the British military. He earned it for his heroic actions during the defence of Rorke's Drift in 1879, a famous battle.
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
