St Mary's Church, Yatton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary |
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View from the south-west
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Yatton |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°23′06″N 2°49′07″W / 51.3850°N 2.8185°W |
| Completed | 14th century |
The Church of St Mary is a very old and important church located in the village of Yatton, Somerset, England. People often call it the Cathedral of the Moors because it's so big and grand for a village church. It's officially recognized as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage, which means it's a really special historic place.
This church has stood for a long time. While the building you see today was mostly built in the 14th century, there was probably an even older church on the same spot before it. Over the years, new parts were added and changes were made. For example, a chapel was built in 1496, and other updates happened after 1445.
The Church Tower
The main tower of the Church of St Mary was built around the year 1400. It has three main levels and strong supports called buttresses that help it stand firm. These supports have fancy decorations at the top called crocketed pinnacles.
Tower Features
- A special hexagonal (six-sided) stair turret sticks up above the roof on the south-east side.
- This turret has cool panel designs and an open, decorative top.
- In 1455–1456, a tall, pointed roof called a steeple was added. This steeple was made from Dundry stone, which was unusual for churches in Somerset.
- Later, in 1595, builders had to make the steeple shorter, bringing it to the size you see today.
- Inside the tower, there's a set of bells that ring out.
- In 1991, the tower was damaged by a fire. Because of this, one of the bells, the fourth one, had to be remade.
The Old Rectory
Near the church, there's another historic building called the Old Rectory. It was built in the 15th century and is also a Grade I listed building, just like the church. This means it's also a very important part of England's history.
