Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Lymington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Thomas the Apostle |
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50°45′27.2″N 1°32′42.6″W / 50.757556°N 1.545167°W | |
Location | Lymington |
Country | United Kingdom |
Denomination | Church of England |
History | |
Founded | 13th century |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Specifications | |
Bells | 8 |
Tenor bell weight | 20 long cwt 1 qr 3 lb (2,271 lb or 1,030 kg) |
Administration | |
Parish | Lymington |
Deanery | Lyndhurst |
Archdeaconry | Bournemouth |
Diocese | Winchester |
Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St Thomas the Apostle is a very old church located in Lymington, Hampshire. It's the main Church of England church for the town. People have been worshipping here for about 800 years! The first parts of the church were built around the time of King Henry III. But it was mostly rebuilt in the 1600s and 1700s.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
How the Church Grew
This church started as a small chapel connected to Christchurch Priory. Over hundreds of years, it grew bigger and bigger. The tall tower you see today was added around 1670. In 1953, the church was given a special 'Grade II listed' status. This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected.
The Church Bells
Ringing Out Over Lymington
The church tower has a special top part called a cupola. Inside, there are 8 bells that can be rung together. The biggest bell is called the Tenor. It weighs a lot, about 20 hundredweight (that's over 1,000 kilograms!). This big bell rings the note Eb.
When Were the Bells Made?
Three of the bells were made in 1901 by a company called John Taylor & Co in Loughborough. The other five bells are even older! They were made in 1785 by Robert II Wells. Imagine how many times these bells have rung over the centuries!