Church of St Mary the Virgin, Nether Stowey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary the Virgin |
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| Location | Nether Stowey, Somerset, England |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
| Designated | 29 March 1963 |
| Reference no. | 1344922 |
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The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a historic church located in Nether Stowey, a village in Somerset, England. Its tall tower was built way back in the 15th century. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1851 by architects Richard Carver and Charles Edmund Giles. This church is considered a very important old building, officially listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a particularly important building of more than special interest.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Early Days of the Church
There was a small church in Nether Stowey as early as the 12th century. It had a main hall, called a nave, which was divided into three sections. In the early 1600s, a gallery was added inside the church.
Later, in 1791, people tried to make the church bigger, but it didn't work out. However, in 1814, a transept was added. A transept is a part of a cross-shaped church that sticks out on either side of the main area.
The Church Today
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is part of a group of churches called a benefice. This group includes churches in several nearby villages like Aisholt, Enmore, Goathurst, Nether Stowey, Over Stowey, and Spaxton. All these churches belong to the Diocese of Bath and Wells, which is a large area managed by the Church of England.
Church Design and Features
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is built from red sandstone. It now has a main hall (the nave), side sections called aisles on both the north and south sides, and a special area for the altar called the chancel. There's also a small room attached to the chancel called a vestry, often used for changing robes.
The church has a tall, three-level tower on its west side. This tower is supported by strong diagonal buttresses, which are stone supports built into the walls. The tower is decorated with pointed tops called pinnacles and cool, carved stone figures called gargoyles. These gargoyles usually help drain rainwater away from the building. Inside the tower are six bells, which were remade in 1914.
See also
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
