St Mary's Church, Portbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Portbury |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°28′32″N 2°43′02″W / 51.4756°N 2.7173°W |
| Completed | 12th century |
St Mary's Church is a very old church located in Portbury, Somerset, England. It is an Anglican parish church, which means it is part of the Church of England. The church is also a "Grade I listed building." This means it is a very important historical building that is protected by law.
The church was first built in the 1100s. It was changed and made larger in the 1200s. Later, between 1870 and 1875, it had a big "restoration." This means it was repaired and updated during the Victorian era. The church has a special doorway from the Norman period. It also has a large porch built in the 1400s. Inside, there is a special area called the Berkeley Chantry chapel. This chapel holds the burials of early members of the Berkeley family from around the year 1190.
Churchyard and History
The church is surrounded by a graveyard. In this graveyard, you can find several very old yew trees. One of these trees is thought to be about 900 years old! In the 1800s, the church was greatly renovated. During this time, a cast-iron heating system was put in.
St Mary's Church is part of a group of churches called a benefice. This group includes churches in Pill, Portbury, and Easton in Gordano. They are all part of the Portishead deanery, which is a larger church area.
The Church Bells
The church tower holds six bells. These bells are used for "change ringing," which is a special English way of ringing bells in patterns. The heaviest bell is called the tenor. It weighs about 1 ton (21 cwt). In 2012, some work was done in the tower. A floor was put back in between the bell ringers and the bells themselves. Many of the bells in this tower were made by the Bilbie family. They were famous bell makers from Chew Stoke.
Protecting the Church
In 2013, St Mary's Church was added to the Heritage at Risk Register. This list includes important historical buildings that are in danger. The church was added because of water damage to its plaster ceiling. This means efforts are being made to protect and repair this historic building.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North Somerset
- List of Somerset towers
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
