List of Somerset towers facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Somerset towers are amazing church towers built in England between the 1300s and 1500s. People often say they are some of the best examples of medieval art in England! These towers were built by different groups of builders over many years. This article will tell you about some of their cool features and how they changed over time.

Churchill Towers: Early Designs (1360-1395)
Cheddar Towers: More Windows (1390-1435)
Mendip Towers: Stronger Foundations (1423-1464)
Winford Towers: Tall and Elegant (1420-1480)
Long Panel Towers: Emphasizing Height (1449-1462)
Langport Towers: Unique Details (1455-1470)
Shepton Beauchamp Towers: Windows Through Stages (1477-1492)
Developmental/Experimental Towers (1480-1497)
West Somerset Towers (1507-1524)
Special West Somerset Towers (1503-1515)
South Somerset Towers (1491-1523)
Somerset Crossing Towers (1400-1525)
Other Somerset Towers (1468-1540)
Images for kids
See also

Churchill Towers: Early Designs (1360-1395)

These towers are usually smaller. They have one window on each side of the very top section. Their top edges (called parapets) have holes and patterns, but no solid blocks (merlons). You'll also see four square-shaped pointy tops (pinnacles) at each corner.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
St John the Baptist	Grade I	c. 1360 or after 1420		Churchill	Built around 1360. The tower has three main parts. It has strong diagonal supports (buttresses), decorative lines (string courses), and a fancy stair turret with a patterned top. Look for the gargoyles!
Church of St Michael the Archangel	Grade I	c. 1370 or 1443	70 feet (21 m)	Compton Martin	Built around 1370 in a Norman style. The tower entrance has a tall, paneled arch. It holds six bells from the 1700s. There's a secret room above a chapel that used to keep 140 pigeons!
Church of St Andrew	Grade I	c. 1380		Compton Bishop	This church dates back to the 1100s. It has a beautiful pulpit from the 1400s with carved designs.
St Paul's	Grade I	c. 1395		Kewstoke	The church is from the 1100s. The tower has two sections with diagonal supports that become corner pinnacles. It has a stair turret with a pyramid top. The top parapet has a cool quatrefoil (four-leaf clover) pattern and gargoyles.

Cheddar Towers: More Windows (1390-1435)

These churches have three windows on each side of the top section of the tower. They also have diagonal supports. Some have square corner pinnacles, while others have pinnacles on the buttresses themselves. The designs range from simple to very detailed.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Andrew	Grade I	c. 1417	100 feet (30 m)	Banwell	This 1400s church has a tall tower with 10 bells from the 1700s to 1900s.
Church of St. Peter and St. Paul	Grade I	c. 1390		Bleadon	Built in the 1300s. The tower has five bells from the 1700s.
Church of St Michael	Grade I	c. 1397		Brent Knoll	This church dates back to the 1000s! Its tower has a bell from 1777.
Church of St Andrew	Grade I	c. 1423	100 feet (30 m)	Cheddar	The church is from the 1300s. It has beautiful stained glass from the 1400s. The tower has a bell from 1759.
Church of St Mark	Grade I	c. 1407		Mark	This church dates from the 1200s, but most of it was built in the 1300s and 1400s.
Church of St Gregory	Grade I	c. 1407		Weare	This church is very old, from the 1000s! It has a 1400s cross in the churchyard.
Church of St James	Grade I	c. 1435	100 feet (30 m)	Winscombe	The church has parts from the 1100s or 1200s, but the main building is from the 1400s. The tall, four-part tower was added in the early 1400s. It has eight bells, some from 1773!

Mendip Towers: Stronger Foundations (1423-1464)

These towers also have three windows on each side of the top section. They have very strong supports (buttresses) that are braced diagonally. Their pinnacles are also set diagonally to the tower's shape.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1456	102 feet (31 m)	Bruton	This church is special because it has two towers! A smaller, older one from the 1300s and a much larger one from the 1400s.
Church of St Bartholomew	Grade I	15th century		Cranmore	From the 1400s, this tower has three sections with strong supports, corner pinnacles, and gargoyles. Inside, there's a cool fan-shaped stone ceiling (fan vault) under the tower.
St Giles' church	Grade I	c. 1464	94 feet (29 m)	Leigh-on-Mendip	This church is from the 1400s and has a unique clock without numbers!
St Andrew's Church	Grade I	1446	104 feet (32 m)	Mells	Mostly from the late 1400s. The churchyard is the final resting place for famous people like the poet Siegfried Sassoon.
Church of St Peter and St Paul	Grade I	c. 1423		Shepton Mallet	This church is from the 1100s, but most of it was built in the 1400s. It has an amazing timber roof with 350 different designs and 36 carved angels!

Winford Towers: Tall and Elegant (1420-1480)

These towers were built around the same time as the Mendip group, but they look more like the Churchill towers. They feel very tall! They have only one window per side in the top section and lower sections. Their supports are set back from the corners and have steps. They mostly have square-shaped pinnacles and no solid blocks (merlons) on the parapet.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Andrew	Grade I	c. 1440	100 feet (30 m)	Chew Magna	From the 1100s, with a large 1400s tower. It has a clock that plays a different hymn tune every day of the week!
Church of St Michael	Grade I	c. 1448		Dundry	This tower is a famous landmark because it sits on a hilltop and can be seen from many miles away! It was built by merchants from Bristol to help ships navigate.
Church of All Saints	Grade I	c. 1467		Publow	From the 1300s, this church has a tower with cool gargoyles. The pulpit is from the early 1600s and is made of carved oak.
Church St Peter and St Paul	Grade I	c. 1443		Kilmersdon	Dates back to the Norman period. The tower has four sections with corner supports and pinnacles. It used to have statues in niches, but they are now gone.
Church of St Julian	Grade I	c. 1475		Wellow	This church has origins before the 1100s, but the current building is from 1372. The tower has three sections with stepped supports that become diagonal pinnacles.
Church of St John The Baptist	Grade I	c. 1480	92 feet (28 m)	Yeovil	From the late 1300s. The tower has four sections with corner supports and a fancy openwork railing at the top. It has two bells from 1728.
St John the Baptist with St Catherine	Grade II*	c. 1458		Batheaston	Built in the 1100s and updated in the late 1400s. The tower was rebuilt in 1834 and has a figure of St. John in a special niche.
Church of St. Mary and St. Peter	Grade II*	c. 1437		Winford	From the 1400s. The tower has four sections with set-back supports and a fancy parapet with gargoyles and corner pinnacles.

Long Panel Towers: Emphasizing Height (1449-1462)

In this group, the windows or bell openings stretch up through several sections of the tower. This makes the towers look even taller and more impressive!

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Peter	Grade I	c. 1462	94 feet (29 m)	Evercreech	From the 1300s. The three-section tower has very tall bell-chamber windows. It has a fancy top with corner pinnacles and smaller ones in between.
Church of St. Cuthbert	Grade I	c. 1456 or 1561	151 feet (46 m)	Wells	This church is so grand, it's often mistaken for the cathedral! It has a beautiful stone tower and a wonderfully carved roof. Its tower is the third tallest in Somerset.
Church of All Saints	Grade I	c. 1450	113.5 feet (35 m)	Wrington	The church has parts from the 1200s, but the tower was added around 1450. It has a very tall, four-section tower with pinnacles and gargoyles. People say it's one of the "highest achievements of architectural genius"!

Langport Towers: Unique Details (1455-1470)

This group of towers has its own special features.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of All Saints	Grade I	c. 1455	Langport	This church has parts from the 1100s or 1200s. The square tower has an octagonal stair-turret and cool gargoyles known as 'hunky punks'.
Church of the Holy Trinity	Grade I	c. 1462	Long Sutton	Built in 1493 from local stone. The tower shows the typical fancy stone patterns (tracery) of Somerset churches. It has six bells.
Church of St Peter and St Paul	Grade I	c. 1468	Muchelney	This church has a ceiling with cool paintings of angels from the 1600s! The tower has three sections with strong corner supports.
St Mary's Parish Church	Grade I	c. 1470	Westonzoyland	This church has a carved timber roof from the 1400s. It was even used as a prison after a battle in 1685! The four-section tower has a fancy top with patterns and pinnacles.

Shepton Beauchamp Towers: Windows Through Stages (1477-1492)

On these churches, the window panels on each side of the top section reach down into the section below, making them look very grand.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
St. Michael's church	Grade I	c. 1477		Shepton Beauchamp	Built from local stone, this church has parts from the 1200s. It has a tall, three-section tower with set-back supports, gargoyles, and clocks on two sides.
Church of St Mary the Virgin	Grade I	c. 1485	98.5 feet (30 m)	Norton Sub Hamdon	This church is described as "uncommonly perfect." It was mostly rebuilt between 1500 and 1510. The five-section tower was damaged by lightning in 1894 but was quickly repaired to look like the original.
Church of St George	Grade I	c. 1492		Hinton St George	This church has parts from the 1200s, built by masons from Wells Cathedral. The four-section tower was built between 1485 and 1495. It has strong corner supports and fancy tops with pinnacles.

Developmental/Experimental Towers (1480-1497)

These churches mix features from other tower groups and also introduce new ideas. Some of them started a new style for towers in West Somerset.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1497		Bishops Lydeard	From the 1300s and 1400s. The tower has pierced patterns, pinnacles, and supports that end in pinnacles at the bell-storey level.
Church of St Bartholomew	Grade I	c. 1480		East Lyng	Built by monks after their abbey was closed down. The fancy three-section tower has supports that connect diagonally across the corners.
Church of the Holy Cross	Grade I	c. 1483		Middlezoy	This church has a three-section tower similar to the one at Lyng.
Church of St. James	Grade II*	c. 1491	111 feet (34 m)	Taunton	The oldest parts of this church are from the early 1300s. The sandstone tower was rebuilt in the 1800s. It's a familiar sight next to the Somerset County Cricket Ground!

West Somerset Towers (1507-1524)

This group of towers has its own distinct style, often featuring strong corner supports and detailed decorations.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St John the Baptist	Grade I	c. 1509		Hatch Beauchamp	A three-section tower with a fancy top (crenellated) and pinnacles. It has diagonal supports, which is a bit unusual for this group.
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary	Grade I	c. 1524	100 feet (30 m)	Huish Episcopi	This church has parts from the 1100s. It's famous for its classic Somerset tower, built around 1500 in four sections. The tower is so special, it was even shown on a postage stamp!
Church of St. Mary the Virgin	Grade I	c. 1517		Isle Abbots	A four-section tower with a fancy top that has patterns and openings. It has very large corner pinnacles and even medieval statues on each side of the tower!
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1507	89 feet (27 m)	Kingston St Mary	This church is from the 1200s, but the tower is from the early 1500s. It has a three-section tower with pinnacles and decorative 'hunky-punks' (carvings that don't carry water, unlike gargoyles).
Church of St Peter	Grade I	c. 1513		Staple Fitzpaine	This church has Norman origins. The tower is from around 1500 and has a fancy top with patterns. It has six bells, with the oldest one dating back to 1480!

Special West Somerset Towers (1503-1515)

These are some particularly notable towers in West Somerset.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Martin	Grade I	c. 1515	99 feet (30 m)	Kingsbury Episcopi	This tower is made from stone from a nearby place called Ham Hill. It's known for its beautiful light inside, especially in the morning.
St Mary the Virgin	Grade I	c. 1508	112 feet (34 m)	North Petherton	This church has a very decorated tower. Most of the building is from the 1400s. It has a gallery from 1623 and a clock from 1807.
Church of St. Mary Magdalene	Grade I	c. 1503	158 feet (48 m)	Taunton	This church is made of sandstone and has a lovely painted inside. Its tower, rebuilt in the mid-1800s, is considered one of the best in England! One expert called it "the finest in England." It has 12 bells and a clock.
Church of St John the Baptist	Grade I	c. 1510		Wellington	This 1400s church includes a special monument to a person named John Popham.

South Somerset Towers (1491-1523)

These are some of the simpler, but still beautiful, towers found in South Somerset.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St Mary the Virgin	Grade I	c. 1520	Chard	This church dates from the late 1000s and was rebuilt in the 1400s. The tower has two bells from the 1790s.
Church of St Barnabas	Grade I	c. 1491	Queen Camel	A tall tower built in five sections.
Church of All Saints	Grade I	c. 1511	Martock	This church is from the 1200s. The tower was built in four sections to replace an older one. It has strong corner supports.
Church of Saint Mary	Grade I	c. 1498	Mudford	A three-section tower with strong corner supports, a fancy top, and gargoyles. It has a stair turret with a weather vane and a clock face. It holds five bells from the 1500s and 1600s.
Church of St Peter and St Paul	Grade II*	c. 1523	Charlton Horethorne	This 1100s church got its two-section tower in the late 1400s. It has strong corner supports that almost reach the top.
All Saints Church	Grade II*	c. 1505	Kingsdon	A four-section tower built in the 1400s, replacing an older one.

Somerset Crossing Towers (1400-1525)

These towers are built in the Perpendicular style, but they are special because they sit on the four arches where the main part of the church (nave) meets the altar area (chancel).

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St John	Grade I	c. 1400	100 feet (30 m)	Axbridge	Built in the early 1400s. The fancy crossing tower has supports rising to pinnacles and a top section with quatrefoil patterns. It has statues of St John and possibly King Henry VIII.
Church of St Bartholomew	Grade I	c. 1480		Crewkerne	Built in the 1400s and early 1500s. The tower has three sections with a hexagonal stair turret that is a bit taller than the tower itself. A new clock was installed in 1902.
Priory Church of St George	Grade I	c. 1442		Dunster	Mostly from the 1400s. This church has a cross shape with a central four-section tower built in 1443.
Church of St Mary	Grade I	Between 1500 and 1525		Ilminster	This large church is known as 'The Minster'. The stone building is from the 1400s. The tower rises two stories above the main part of the church and is very decorated with pinnacles and patterns.
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1400		Wedmore	Mostly from the 1400s, but some parts are from the 1100s and 1200s. The tower has set-back supports and triple bell chamber windows.
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1400		Yatton	Often called the 'Cathedral of the Moors' because it's so big and grand for a village church! The tower has three sections with diagonal supports and a hexagonal stair turret.

Other Somerset Towers (1468-1540)

Here are some other interesting towers in Somerset, including some smaller ones and those built towards the end of the Perpendicular architectural period.

Church Name	Historic Grade	Built Around	Height	Where It Is	Cool Features
Church of St. Mary the Virgin	Grade I	c. 1543		Batcombe	From the 1400s and 1500s. The tower has five bells from 1760.
Church of St Mary	Grade I	c. 1539		Chedzoy	This church is from the 1200s. It still has marks from swords sharpened by soldiers during a rebellion in the 1600s!
Church of St Mary Magdalene	Grade I	c. 1540	126 feet (38 m)	Chewton Mendip	The tower of this church was "unfinished" in 1541. It has a bell from 1753 and a set of eight bells. Near the altar is a stone seat where criminals could find safety in the church.
Church of St Martin	Grade I	c. 1505		Fivehead	This church dates back to the 1200s.
Church of St Peter	Grade I	c. 1510		Langford Budville	This church is from the 1400s.
Church of St Nicholas	Grade I	c. 1482		West Pennard	This church is from the 1400s.
St Andrews Church	Grade II*	c. 1475		Chew Stoke	Built in the 1400s. The inside is decorated with 156 angels carved from wood and stone! The tower has an unusual small spire on its staircase turret.
Church of St Mary	Grade II*	c. 1468		Nempnett Thrubwell	The tower has five bells and a fancy top with patterns and square pinnacles. It also has a slightly taller stair turret.
Church of St Mary	Grade II*	c. 1505		Cloford	This Norman church is from the 1400s and was rebuilt in 1856.
Church of St Thomas	Grade II*	c. 1497		Pylle	The church was rebuilt in 1868, but it still has a 1400s tower from the older church.