Old Church of St Nicholas, Uphill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Church of St Nicholas |
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| Location | Uphill, Somerset, England |
| Built | Late 11th – 12th century |
| Architectural style(s) | Norman |
| Governing body | Churches Conservation Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Old Church of Saint Nicholas | |
| Designated | 19 May 1983 |
| Reference no. | 1129743 |
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The Old Church of St Nicholas in Uphill, Somerset, England, is a very old church. It was built in the Norman style, but it was changed and updated later on in the Middle Ages. People stopped having regular church services there in 1846.
Today, the church is partly ruined, meaning some parts are gone or broken. It still has a tower, a chancel (the part where the altar is), and a nave (the main part where people sit) that doesn't have a roof anymore. It's a special old building, protected by law as a Grade II* listed building. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. Even though it's old, sometimes church services are still held in the part that still has a roof.
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Where is the Church Located?
The Old Church of St Nicholas sits high up on a cliff. From there, you can look out over Weston Bay, Brean Down, and where the River Axe meets the sea.
Close by, there's an old stone tower on the hill. In the late 1700s, this tower was used as a windmill, but by 1829, it was no longer in use.
The church is on top of a cliff that, along with a quarry, forms the Uphill Cliff Site of Special Scientific Interest. This area is special because it has a lot of different plants that grow in grassy, chalky soil.
Plants and Animals at Uphill Cliff
The cliff area has grasslands and rocky parts made of Carboniferous Limestone. In the steeper, grassy areas, you can find many interesting plants. These include different kinds of orchids, Somerset Hair Grass, and Honewort. You might also spot the Goldilocks Aster.
Besides plants, the area is home to several types of butterfly and Weevils (a kind of beetle).
History of the Old Church
The Old Church of St Nicholas used to be connected to a monastery dedicated to Saint Michael. This monastery was on Steep Holm island in the Bristol Channel. The abbot (the head of the monastery) was in charge of the church.
The church building was updated in the late Middle Ages. However, by 1840, it was in bad shape. Because of this, a new church was built nearby in 1844. Both the old and new churches were used for services until April 5, 1846. After that date, all services moved to the new church.
In 1879, the roof of the old church's nave was taken off because it had become unsafe. The porch, which is the entrance area, was rebuilt in 1904.
In 1983, the church was officially listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. Today, the Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it. Sometimes, special services are still held in the chancel, which is the part of the church that still has a roof.
What Does the Church Look Like?
The Old Church of St Nicholas is a stone building built in the Norman style. It has a central tower with three levels, a chancel, and a nave. As mentioned, the nave no longer has a roof.
You can find three carved sundials on the church. A sundial is an old way to tell time using the sun's shadow. One sundial is on the east side of a plain stone panel (called a tympanum) above a door that is now blocked up in the south wall. Another sundial is to the west of this panel. The third sundial is on a window frame on the south side of the tower. This sundial is very old, possibly even older than the Norman Conquest, or from that time period.
See also
