St Cuthbert's Church, Wells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Cuthbert |
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| General information | |
| Location | Wells, Somerset |
| Address | St Cuthbert St |
| Coordinates | 51°12′30″N 2°39′01″W / 51.2083°N 2.6503°W |
| Construction started | 13th century |
| Completed | 15th century |
| Height | 151 feet (46 metres) |
The Church of St Cuthbert is a really old and beautiful church in Wells, Somerset, England. It was built a long, long time ago, starting in the 13th century. People sometimes mix it up with the big cathedral nearby because it's so grand! It has a fantastic stone tower and an amazing carved roof inside. This church is so important that it's a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
The church is named after Saint Cuthbert, a very old saint. This suggests the church might have started way back in Saxon times. The first parts of the church were built in the 13th century, in a style called Early English. You can still see some of the original pillars from that time.
Changes Over Time
Later, in the 15th century, the church was changed a lot. This was during the Perpendicular Period, a time when buildings had tall, straight lines. During this time, a high section of walls with windows, called a clerestory, was added. Also, the amazing "angel roof" was put in over the main part of the church, called the nave.
The church is mostly built from a type of stone called Doulting ashlar stone on its south side. The north side uses rougher stone with smooth stone details. In the north part of the church, called the north transept, there's a special decorated screen behind the altar, known as a reredos. It was found again in 1848. The south transept, also known as The Lady Chapel, has another stone reredos from 1470. This one shows scenes based on the Tree of Jesse, which is a way of showing the family tree of Jesus.
The Church Tower
Until 1561, the church had a tower in the middle. This tower either fell down or was taken apart. This happened because of big changes in how churches were used during the Protestant Reformation. A new tower was then built over the west door. This new tower is the third highest in Somerset! It's made of three main parts, with the top part being very tall. The tower reaches 123 feet (37 metres) to the top of its walls. If you include the tall stone points, called pinnacles, the total height is 151 feet (46 metres).
Roof and Pulpit
The colorful ceiling in the nave was repainted in 1963. During other repair work in the 1960s, a beautiful carved and paneled ceiling from the 15th century was found. It had been hidden under plaster for a long time!
In 1975, lightning struck the church! One of the tall stone pinnacles from the tower fell right through the roof of the nave and damaged the floor. For many years, the new pinnacle looked much lighter than the other three.
Inside the church, there's a carved wooden pulpit from 1636. It has a fancy staircase and two carved coats of arms. These show the symbols of two kings, Charles I and Charles II.
The Church Organ
The church has a large pipe organ. It was first built by Henry Lincoln in 1820. Over the years, it has been rebuilt several times by different builders. These include William Sweetland in 1864, George Osmond in 1959, and Percy Daniel in 1984. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
A Filming Location
The Church of St Cuthbert was an important place in the movie Hot Fuzz. This film was mostly shot in Wells, which was called the fictional town of Sandford in the movie. You can see the church in the scene where a character is hurt by a falling piece of the church tower during a church fair. This scene might have been inspired by the real lightning strike in the early 1970s, when a pinnacle actually fell through the church roof!
