Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Lymington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Thomas the Apostle |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 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 in Lymington, a town in Hampshire, England. It is the main Church of England parish church for the area. People have worshipped here for about 800 years! The first parts of the church were built around the time of King Henry III. However, much of what you see today was rebuilt in the 1600s and 1700s.
History of the Church
The Church of St Thomas the Apostle started as a small chapel. It was connected to Christchurch Priory, which is another important church nearby. Over many years, the church grew bigger. A tall tower was added around the year 1670. This tower is still a key part of the church's look today. In 1953, the church was given a special status called "Grade II listed." This means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected.
The Church Bells
The church tower has a special top part called a cupola. Inside the tower, there are 8 bells that make up a "peal." A peal is a set of bells designed to be rung together in a specific order. The biggest bell is called the Tenor. It weighs about 20 hundredweight, which is a lot! This heavy bell rings out the note of E-flat.
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 a bell maker named Robert II Wells. These bells have been ringing for hundreds of years, calling people to worship and marking important moments in Lymington's history.
