Church of St Thomas, Cricket St Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Thomas
Location	Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, England
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Church of St Thomas
Designated	4 February 1958
Reference no.	1056183
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

The Church of St Thomas in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, England, is an old church with a rich history. It was first built in the 14th century, but much of what you see today was rebuilt in 1868. This church is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural interest and is protected.

A Look Back in Time

This church has stood for a long time. The original church was built in the 14th century. However, there was an even older church on this same spot way back in the 12th century.

In 1868, the church was largely rebuilt. This work was done for Lord Bridport, a very important person in the area at that time. The church is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, which is a large church area in England.

What the Church Looks Like

The church building is made from flint, which is a hard grey stone. It has special hamstone details around the windows and doors. The roofs are made of slate.

The church has a main open space called a nave, which has two sections, or "bays." There's also a smaller area near the altar called a chancel, which has one bay. On the south side, there's a small wing called a transept. Strong stone supports called buttresses help hold up the walls.

Above the front wall of the nave, there's a small tower. This tower sits on the triangular part of the wall, known as the gable.

Inside the Church

Most of the inside of the church looks like it did in the 19th century. You can find special memorials to important families here. These include the Hood family, who were also known as the Viscounts Bridport. They are connected to the Viscounts Nelson, a title that came from the famous naval hero, Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson.

One special memorial is on the south wall of the chancel. It remembers Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, who passed away in 1814. This beautiful monument was designed by a famous architect named Sir John Soane. It has a black marble base with a white marble monument on top, framed by Ionic columns.

On the north wall of the nave, there's a small piece of history. It's a fragment of the altar cloth that was used during the Coronation Service of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Churchyard

Outside the church, in the churchyard, you'll find more interesting monuments. There's a white marble statue from the early 1900s that shows a figure of St Michael. This statue remembers Alexander Nelson Hood, 4th Duke of Bronté, who was also the 2nd Viscount Bridport and passed away in 1904. A note inside the church says that for many years, this statue was laid down. This was because the white figure at night looked a bit spooky to some local people!

You can also see two old stone tombs from the 18th century. They are made from hamstone. One of these tombs remembers John Northcote, who died in 1738.

See also

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