Culbone Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Beuno's Church, Culbone |
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 St Beuno's Church, Culbone
Location in Somerset
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| 51°13′17″N 3°39′32″W / 51.2213°N 3.6590°W | |
| OS grid reference | SS842482 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Beuno |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Porlock |
| Diocese | Bath & Wells |
Culbone Church, found in the small village of Culbone in Somerset, is known for being the smallest parish church in England. This special church is dedicated to a Welsh saint named Beuno. It's so important that English Heritage has given it a Grade I listed building status, meaning it's a very significant historical site. Even the cross in its churchyard is listed as Grade II*.
A Look Back in Time
This church is very old! It was even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. The church probably existed before the Normans arrived in England.
Over the years, parts of the church were added or changed. For example, a porch was built in the 13th century. The main part of the church, called the nave, was built in the late 15th century.
Around 1810, new windows were put in and the roof was replaced. A small spire was added in 1888. The church also had more repair work done in 1928.
Some interesting people are buried in the churchyard. These include Joan D'Arcy Cooper, a psychologist and yoga teacher, and Sir David Calcutt, a public servant. There is also a war grave for a soldier from World War II. Even though it's hard to reach by road, church services are still held here regularly.
Church Design and Features
The inside of Culbone Church is quite unique. The main seating area, called the nave, has special old-fashioned seats known as box pews. One of these is a squire's pew from the Jacobean era.
The way the church is built and decorated suggests it might have Anglo-Saxon origins, meaning it could be from a very early period in English history. The east end of the church has been restored.
You can also see a small window carved from a single piece of stone on the outside of the north wall. It has a face carved on top of the pillar that divides the window. This window is also likely from the Saxon period.
The church is quite small, seating only about 30 people. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, is about 4.1 meters (13.5 feet) long and 3 meters (10 feet) wide. The nave is about 6.5 meters (21.5 feet) long and 3.7 meters (12.33 feet) wide. The whole building is about 10.7 meters (35 feet) long.
How to Get There
Culbone Church is located along the South West Coast Path, a popular walking trail. If you're driving, you need to turn off the A39 main road near the village pub. You can park on a narrow track, but then you'll have to walk about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) to reach the church.
The walk is described by writer Simon Jenkins as going "through steep woods of walnut and oak." He says it's "glorious on a summer's day with the sea glinting through the trees," but can be "darkly mysterious and dripping with water in winter." It sounds like an adventure to get there!
