St Mary's Church, Marston Magna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary |
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| Location | Marston Magna, Somerset, England |
| Built | c. 1360 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 19 April 1961 |
| Reference no. | 262672 |
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The Church of St Mary is a really old church in a place called Marston Magna in Somerset, England. It has been standing for a very long time, even before the famous Norman Conquest in 1066. That's when William the Conqueror came from France to take over England! Most of the building you see today was built around 1360, and then more parts were added in the 1400s. It's so important that it's been given a special "Grade I listed building" status. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
A Church with a Long History
This church was once owned by a group of nuns from Polsloe Priory. This was a special religious house near Exeter. They looked after the church from the 1100s until the time of the dissolution of the monasteries. This was when King Henry VIII closed down many religious places in England in the 1500s.
What's Inside the Church?
Even though the church looks mostly from the 1300s, you can still find parts that are even older!
- Look closely and you might spot two small window tops. These are from the original Saxon church that stood here before the Normans arrived.
- The north wall of the church is also very old. It has a special pattern called "herringbone masonry." This is where stones are laid in a zig-zag pattern, like fish bones.
- The Baptismal font, which is a large stone basin used for baptisms, is also from the Norman period. This means it's over 800 years old!
- The big window at the east end of the church has three tall, narrow windows. These are called "triple lancet" windows and were put in around 1230. The colorful glass inside them, however, is from the Victorian era (the 1800s).
- The Lady Chapel, a smaller area for prayer, was added in the 1400s.
- You can also see beautiful wooden screens from the 1400s. These include an oak screen below the west gallery and a rood screen. A rood screen is a fancy screen that used to separate the main part of the church from the altar area.
The Tower and Bells
The church has a tall tower with three main levels.
- In one corner of the tower, there's a winding staircase. This leads up to the belfry, which is where the church bells are kept.
- The top of the tower has cool stone decorations. These include "battlement" walls, which look like the tops of old castles. There are also "crocheted pinnacles," which are pointy decorations, and "gargoyles." Gargoyles are carved stone figures, often scary-looking, that were originally used as water spouts to drain rain from the roof.
- At the bottom of the tower, there's a small room called the vestry. Inside, you'll find a clock made by William Monk in 1710. He also made the clock for the famous Sherborne Abbey!
- The church bells themselves were given a special dedication in 1912. This was when new land was added to the churchyard, paid for by the governors of Winchester College.
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
