Church of St Thomas à Becket, South Cadbury facts for kids
The Church of St Thomas à Becket is an old Anglican church in the village of South Cadbury, Somerset. It's named after Thomas Becket, a famous saint. This church is part of the 'Camelot Churches' group in South Somerset. It's also a special listed building (Grade II*), which means it's historically important. The church was fixed up and improved a lot in the 1850s and 1870s.
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A Church with a Long History
This church has been around for a very long time. The Domesday Book from 1086 mentions a priest here. This tells us there was an important church on this spot nearly 1,000 years ago!
The church is named after Thomas Becket. He was killed at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. People really admired him back then. The first known priest at South Cadbury was Peter de Burg in 1265. At that time, Thomas Becket was very popular.
There's an old wall painting inside the church. It shows a bishop in special clothes. Many people think this painting is of St Thomas Becket himself. It was fixed up in 1984.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is mostly built from local stone. It has parts from the 13th and 15th centuries. But it was also greatly changed in 1874. Many of the things you see inside are from this time.
The tall tower was built in the 14th century. It has a small turret, pointy tops called pinnacles, and cool gargoyles. These gargoyles are stone carvings that often look like monsters. The tower also has six bells that ring out.
Inside, the church has a special roof from the 15th century. It has carved angels and decorative bosses (fancy carvings).
Inside the Church
The entrance porch has been fixed up a lot. But the inner and outer doorways are very old. The main arch leading to the chancel (the area near the altar) is also from an old style of English architecture.
The rows of pillars inside the church are from around 1280. They have a special shape like a four-leaf clover. The arch under the tower is from the same time.
The 'Mary and Martha Window' is a special window. It remembers a priest named Rev. James Arthur Bennett. He was in charge from 1866 to 1890. He helped make the 1874 changes to the church very successful.
The chancel area was almost completely rebuilt in 1874. The big window at the east end of the church is also from 1874. Its beautiful glass shows the Ascension (Jesus going to heaven). All the stained glass from that time was made by a company called Clayton and Bell. Above the altar, there's a finely carved scene of the Crucifixion. It was put there in 1870.
The pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) is made of Bath stone. It was carved for the 1874 changes. One old piece from an earlier pulpit was saved. It was used as a guide to carve the ends of the pews (church benches). Most of the wood in the church is from this time.
There's a small opening called a squint or hagioscope in the south chancel arch. It was made so people could see the altar during Mass, even if they were in a different part of the church.
The baptismal font (a bowl for baptisms) was put in the church in 1871. There used to be a pewter bowl used for baptisms. But it was stolen in 1991.
The south aisle (a side part of the church) was rebuilt in 1853. It still has a 14th-century piscina (a small basin used for washing sacred vessels). The main part of the church, called the nave, has a roof from the 15th century. It has been repainted to show off its carved bosses and angel brackets.
Famous Connections
A famous 18th-century poet named Charles Churchill once worked here. He was a curate (a type of priest) at South Cadbury for a time.
