St Andrew's Church, Stogursey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Andrew |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Stogursey |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°10′46″N 3°08′20″W / 51.1795°N 3.1389°W |
| Completed | 12th century |
The Church of St Andrew in Stogursey, Somerset, England, is a very old and important building. It was built in the early 1100s. Today, it is known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's a special historic place protected by the government.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The Church of St Andrew started its life as part of a priory. A priory was a type of monastery, a place where monks lived and prayed. This one was for Benedictine monks.
How the Priory Began
The priory was founded around 1100 to 1107 by a man named William de Falaise. He was the local lord, meaning he owned much of the land. Some people think there might have been a religious site here even before his priory was built.
The priory in Stogursey was connected to a larger abbey in France called Lonlay-l'Abbaye. It was like a smaller branch of that French abbey.
Spreading Its Influence
Later, around 1183, a powerful person named John de Courcy gave land in Ireland to Stogursey Priory. On that land, another priory was started before 1204. It was called the Priory of St. Andrews of the Ards, and it also became a branch of the Lonlay-l'Abbaye in France.
Changes Over the Centuries
The church was made bigger around 1180. Parts of the original building were taken down, and the chancel (the area around the altar) was extended.
The priory stopped being a monastery around 1440. After that, it became a regular parish church for the local community.
More changes happened in the 1400s. The main part of the church, called the nave, was repaired in 1824 by an architect named Richard Carver. The chancel was rebuilt again between 1863 and 1865 by John Norton. Inside the church, you can still see two very old Norman fonts, which are basins used for baptisms.
The Sanctuary Ring
At the floor level in the south arch of the church, there is a special object called a Sanctuary Ring. It was put there in the 1200s.
A Place of Safety
In medieval England, churches sometimes offered a "Place of Refuge." This meant that if someone committed a crime, they could go to a church and be safe there for up to forty days. During this time, they had to decide whether to admit their crime or face a trial. If they admitted their crime, they would lose their belongings and have to leave the country.
The Sanctuary Ring in the Church of St Andrew was installed in 1243. This happened after a person named John de Rechich, who was accused of murder, found safety in the church but then ran away before his trial. Because of this, the priory had to pay a fine. The ring was a way to make sure people knew where the sanctuary was.
Church Bells
The church tower holds six bells. The oldest of these bells was made in 1611, which means it's over 400 years old!
Modern Day Use
Today, the Church of St Andrew is part of the Quantock Coast benefice. This is a group of churches that work together in the local area.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in West Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
