St Andrew's Church, Backwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Andrew, Backwell |
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Church of St Andrew, Backwell
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Portishead |
| Archdeaconry | Bath |
| Diocese | Bath and Wells |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Andrew's Church is an Anglican church located in Backwell, a village in Somerset, England. This church is a very old and important building. Parts of it, like the main hall (called the nave), the side areas (called aisles), and the area around the altar (the chancel), were built way back in the 1200s.
Over the years, from the 1300s to the 1600s, the church was made bigger and changed. The tall tower at the west end, which is 31 meters high, was built in the 1400s. The beautiful wooden screen that separates the nave from the chancel, known as a rood screen, was added in the early 1500s. Since 1961, the church has been a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very special historic building that needs to be protected.
St Andrew's Church is part of a group of churches called the Benefice of Backwell with Chelvey and Brockley. This group belongs to the Portishead area of the church.
In 1984, a new building was added to the church. It provides space for social gatherings and offices. There are also plans to put solar panels on the church roof to help power the building using sunlight.
Exploring the Churchyard
The area around the church, called the churchyard, holds some interesting features.
Ancient Cross and Memorials
You can find a stone cross in the churchyard that dates back to the 1400s. There is also a special crucifix, which is a memorial to a local airman named Pat Garnett. A famous artist named Arthur George Walker made this crucifix. It was originally placed near Backwell Hill House. Over time, it became rusty and covered in plants. In 1997, Laurence Tindall carefully fixed it and moved it to the churchyard.
The churchyard also contains war graves. These are the burial sites for a soldier from the York and Lancaster Regiment and an airman who died during World War II.
Future Burials
The churchyard has very little space left for new burials. Because of this, the church has decided that only people who live in Backwell can be buried there in the future. They are also asking for permission to reuse old graves that don't have headstones and are more than 80 years old.
See also
- List of Somerset towers
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
