St Gregory's Church, Stoke St Gregory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Gregory |
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 Church of St Gregory
Location in Somerset
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| 51°02′24″N 2°55′52″W / 51.0400°N 2.9311°W | |
| OS grid reference | ST34812715 |
| Location | Stoke St Gregory |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | St Gregory the Great |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 25 February 1955 |
| Style | Gothic |
| Years built | 14th century |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Materials | Blue Lias with Hamstone dressings |
| Bells | 5 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Sedgemoor |
| Diocese | Bath and Wells |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St Gregory in Stoke St Gregory is an old and important Church of England parish church located in Somerset, England. It serves as a local church for the community. The church is part of a group of churches called the Athelney Benefice. This group also includes the churches of St Michael in Burrowbridge, St Bartholomew in Lyng, and SS Peter and Paul in North Curry.
Contents
Discovering St Gregory's Church
A Look Back in Time
The Church of St Gregory was built a very long time ago. It was likely constructed in the 1300s, perhaps as early as the year 1300. This makes it hundreds of years old!
Unique Church Shape
The church has a special shape called "cruciform." This means it looks like a cross from above. It has a tower in the middle, where the arms of the cross meet. This tower is octagonal, meaning it has eight sides. The top part of the tower was added later, in the 1400s.
Inside the Church
Inside, the main part of the church is called the nave. On both sides of the nave, there are walkways called aisles. These aisles have four-bay arcades, which are rows of arches supported by columns.
Special Features
The church has a south porch, which is an entrance area on the south side. Above the outer arch of this porch, there is a sundial. A sundial is an old device that tells time using the sun's shadow. Over the inner arch, you can see a statue of St Gregory the Great. He is the saint the church is named after. Some pieces of old, colorful glass, known as Medieval stained glass, can still be seen in the western windows of the aisles.
The Church Bells
A Ring of Five Bells
The tower of St Gregory's Church holds a "ring" of five bells. This means they are designed to be rung together in a specific sequence. Each bell has its own history:
- The smallest bell, called the treble bell, was made in 1628 by John Wiseman from Montacute.
- The second bell was cast in 1714 by Thomas I Wroth from Wellington.
- The third bell was made in 1818 by John Kingston from Bridgwater. He also made the largest bell, called the tenor bell, in 1823.
- The fourth bell was cast more recently, in 1909, by a company called John Taylor & Co.
The Churchyard
Old Monuments and Stocks
The area around St Gregory's Church, called the churchyard, has some interesting old items. There is a monument that might be from the 1500s. You can also find a well-preserved headstone from the late 1700s. Additionally, there is a set of stocks from the 1600s or 1700s. Stocks were used in the past to hold people as a form of public punishment.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
- List of Somerset towers
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
