Church of St Mary, West Harptree facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary
Location	West Harptree, Somerset, England
Built	12th century
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	21 September 1960
Reference no.	1312706
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The Church of St Mary is a very old church located in West Harptree, a village in Somerset, England. It was first built way back in the 12th century, which means it's over 800 years old! The tall spire you see on top was added a bit later, in the 13th century.

This church is considered a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected because of its special architecture and history. The Church of St Mary is part of a group of churches in the area, including those in East Harptree and Hinton Blewett.

History of the Church

The oldest part of the Church of St Mary is its west tower, which was built in the 1100s. The spire was added in the 1200s, making the church even taller. Most of the main part of the church, called the nave, was built in the 1400s.

In 1865, the church was carefully repaired and updated. This work was done by an architect named Charles Edmund Giles. These kinds of repairs are often called "Victorian restorations" because they happened during the Victorian era.

The church was likely started around 1135 by a person named William FitzJohn de Harptree. He was also involved in building Richmont Castle in East Harptree. This castle would have had a great view of West Harptree and the church.

Church Design and Materials

The Church of St Mary is mostly built from a type of rock called dolomitic conglomerate. This is a mix of different kinds of stones. Some parts of the church, like the buttresses (which are supports on the outside walls), also have red sandstone.

Inside, the church has a main area called the nave. It also has an aisle on the side and a special area at the east end called the chancel, where the altar is. The nave and aisle are separated by three arches, which are supported by columns with eight sides. There's also a transept, which is a part of the church that sticks out like an arm, and a porch where the main door is.

The spire on top of the tower is shaped like an octagon and is about 11 meters (36 feet) tall. The tower itself is about 15 meters (49 feet) high. The spire was originally covered with slates, but by the 1950s, it had lead plates. In 1966, these were replaced with copper sheets. A clock was added to the tower in 1947. It was put there to remember the brave men from the village who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Inside the Church

The church has an organ that was built in 1891 by William Sweetland from Bath. A vicar named Revd George Pridham paid for the organ. It has been repaired a few times since then, including more recently.

You can also find several memorials inside the church. These plaques remember villagers, especially those who gave money to help keep the church in good condition. One interesting plaque tells the story of a vicar named Robert Wolfall. He was a chaplain to an explorer named Martin Frobisher. In 1578, Wolfall was the first Anglican priest to celebrate Holy Communion in North America.

Images for kids

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  The Church of St Mary in West Harptree