St Mary's Church, Bishops Lydeard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Bishops Lydeard |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°03′41″N 3°11′14″W / 51.0614°N 3.1872°W |
| Completed | 14th century |
The Church of St Mary is a very old and important church located in Bishops Lydeard, a village in Somerset, England. Parts of this church were built way back in the 14th and 15th centuries, which means it's hundreds of years old! Because of its age and special design, it has been given a special status called a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered one of the most important historic buildings in England and is protected.
Contents
History of the Church
Building and Changes Over Time
The Church of St Mary has grown and changed over many centuries. In the years 1860 and 1862, the church was made a bit bigger. An extra section, called a vestry, was added. A vestry is a room in a church often used for changing robes or for meetings. This work was done by an architect named Edward Jeboult from Taunton.
The Amazing Church Tower
The church's tower is a really impressive part of the building. It was built around the year 1497. This tower has special stone designs at the top called "pierced tracery battlements." These look a bit like the top of a castle wall, but with fancy cut-out patterns. You can also see tall, pointed decorations called "pinnacles" on the tower.
If you look closely at the stone walls of the tower, you might spot some interesting carvings called "hunky punks." These are like gargoyles, but they don't usually spout water. Many of them have been worn down by the weather over hundreds of years. However, one of them still looks like a Sea serpent, which is a mythical creature that looks like a giant snake in the sea!
Keeping the Church Strong
Because the church is so old, it needs a lot of care to stay in good condition. Between 2010 and 2011, a big project took place to fix up the church. This "restoration programme" lasted for eleven months and focused mainly on repairing the tower. It cost a lot of money, about £240,000, to make sure the tower was strong and safe for many more years. Special experts in historic buildings, Sally Strachey Historic Conservation, worked on this project, with Smith Gamblin Architects watching over the work.
Churchyard Features
The area around the church, called the churchyard, is also very interesting. Several old tombs (graves) there are important because of their history. There are also two old stone crosses. One of these crosses dates all the way back to the 14th century, making it incredibly old. The other cross used to be the market cross for the town. It was moved into the churchyard in the 19th century.
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
