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 an old church in West Harptree, a village in Somerset, England. It was first built a very long time ago, in the 12th century. That's over 800 years ago! The tall spire on top was added later, in the 13th century. This church is considered a special historic building, known as a Grade II* listed building.

The church is part of a group of churches in the area. These include churches in East Harptree, Hinton Blewett, Litton, and Chewton Mendip. They all belong to the larger church area of Wells.

Discovering the Church's Past

The oldest part of the church is its west tower, built in the 12th century. The spire was added to the tower in the 13th century. Most of the church building we see today was built in the 15th century.

In 1865, the church was carefully repaired and updated. This work was done by an architect named Charles Edmund Giles.

The church was likely first started around the year 1135. A person named William FitzJohn de Harptree might have helped build it. He was also involved in building Richmont Castle nearby. This castle would have looked over the village of West Harptree.

Exploring the Church's Design

The Church of St Mary is mostly built from a type of rock called conglomerate. This rock is made of different sized pebbles stuck together. The strong supports on the outside, called buttresses, also have some red sandstone.

Inside, the church has a main open area called a nave. It also has an aisle and a special area at the east end called the chancel. The nave and aisle are separated by three arches. These arches are supported by columns with eight sides. The chancel is also separated from the nave by three more arches.

There is a side section called a transept to the north. The main entrance is through a porch on the south side. This door opens into the southerly aisle.

The Tower and Spire

The church has a tall, eight-sided spire. It is about 11 meters (36 feet) high. This spire sits on top of a single-level west tower, which is 15 meters (49 feet) high.

The spire was first covered with slates. By the 1950s, these were replaced with lead plates. Then, in 1966, copper sheets were used instead. A clock was added to the tower in 1947. It was put there to remember the men from the village who died in the Second World War.

Inside the Church

The church has an organ that was built in 1891. It was made by William Sweetland of Bath. The money for the organ was given by Revd George Pridham. The organ has been repaired a few times, including in the 1930s and more recently.

You can find several memorials inside the church. These plaques remember villagers, especially those who gave money to help keep the church in good condition. One special plaque tells the story of the vicar Robert Wolfall. He was a chaplain to an explorer named Martin Frobisher.

In 1578, Wolfall was on Frobisher's third trip to the New World (North America). He was the first Anglican priest to lead a special church service called Holy Communion in North America.

See also

• List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells