St Mary's Church, West Buckland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary
General information
Town or city	West Buckland
Country	England
Coordinates	50°58′40″N 3°10′44″W / 50.9778°N 3.1789°W / 50.9778; -3.1789
Completed	13th century

The Church of St Mary is a very old church in West Buckland, Somerset, England. It was first built in the 1200s. This church is so important that it's been named a Grade I listed building. This means it's a special historic place that needs to be protected.

A Look at Its History

The Church of St Mary stands where an even older Norman church used to be. Builders started working on it between the years 1275 and 1300. Imagine, that's over 700 years ago!

What Does the Church Look Like?

The church has a main area called a nave with two aisles. It also has a chancel and small chapels on the north and south sides. The roof inside is a special type called a hammerbeam roof.

The tall, square tower was added later, around 1509. It has three main parts and a crenelated top, which looks like the top of a castle wall. Strong diagonal buttresses help hold it up.

The Church Bells

Inside the tower, there are six bells. The oldest bell was made in 1606. These bells were cast by a famous company called the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. This company has been making bells for hundreds of years!

In 1838, a special balcony was built for the choir and organ. But this balcony was taken down in 1891.

Inside the Church

When you go inside the church, you can see a very old font. This font is a large stone basin used for baptisms. It is made from Purbeck marble and dates all the way back to 1140. That makes it even older than the current church building!

Church Community

The Church of St Mary is part of the Wellington and District area. It belongs to the Diocese of Bath and Wells, which is a larger group of churches in the area.

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