St Aldhelm's Church, Doulting facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Aldhelm |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Doulting |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°11′09″N 2°30′21″W / 51.1859°N 2.5058°W |
| Completed | 12th century |
The Church of St Aldhelm is an old and interesting church. It is located in Doulting, a village in Somerset, England. This church was built a very long time ago, back in the 12th century! It is considered a very important historical building. It is known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
Contents
Who Was St Aldhelm?
The church is named after a special person called St Aldhelm. He was a very important figure in the 8th century. King Ine of Wessex gave the land around Doulting to Glastonbury Abbey. This happened after St Aldhelm passed away in the village in the year 709. To remember him, a local spring is named St Aldhelm's Well. This spring is actually the start of the River Sheppey. Even the local primary school is named after him!
When St Aldhelm passed away in 709, the church was just a small wooden building.
What Makes the Church Special?
This church has some unique features. It has a tall spire, which is a pointy roof, instead of the usual towers you see on many churches in Somerset.
It also has a two-storey porch. A porch is an entrance area. Inside this porch, you can find a special carving. This carving is of the Green Man. The Green Man is a mysterious face made of leaves and branches. It is carved into the vaulting, which is the arched ceiling of the porch.
The Churchyard's Secrets
The churchyard is the area around the church. Here, you can find a stone churchyard cross. This cross was made in the 15th century. It has an eight-sided base with steps. The cross itself is square and gets narrower towards the top. This cross is also a protected historical item, called a Grade II* listed building.
The churchyard also contains a special grave. It is a war grave for a soldier. This soldier was part of the Somerset Light Infantry and fought in World War I.
Protecting History
In August 2007, there was some digging in the churchyard. This was done to install a septic tank for a toilet inside the church. During this work, the digging machine disturbed some very old graves. This caused local people to be upset. They even held a sit-in protest to stop the work. They wanted to protect the historical remains in the churchyard.
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Stone churchyard cross in St Aldhelm's parish churchyard
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Mendip
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
