St Michael's Church, Milverton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Michael |
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St Michael's Church in Milverton, England
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Milverton |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°01′32″N 3°15′13″W / 51.0256°N 3.2537°W |
| Completed | 13th century |
The Church of St Michael is a very old church located in Milverton, Somerset, England. It was first built way back in the 1200s (the 13th century)! Before that, there might have been an even older chapel on the same spot. This church is so important that it has been named a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very special historic building that needs to be protected.
The church is made from reddish sandstone with special Hamstone details. Inside, you can see beautifully carved wooden benches from the mid-1500s. In 1850, the church was made bigger and fixed up by an architect named John Hayward.
Contents
Church Design and History
The Church of St Michael in Milverton was officially named a Grade I listed building on January 25, 1956. This shows how important its history and design are. While some parts of the tower are from the original 1200s building, most of the church you see today was built in the 1300s and 1400s. It was also repaired and updated between 1849 and 1850.
Building Materials
The church is built from red sandstone, which is a type of stone that looks reddish. It also has special decorative parts made from Hamstone. The roofs are covered with slate tiles.
Church Layout
The church has a main area called a nave, which is four sections long. On both sides of the nave, there are aisles that are also four sections long. These aisles even go a bit further east than the main nave. There's a porch on the south side, which was built in the 1300s. At the west end, there's a tall tower.
The Church Tower
The tower is quite tall and stands at a slight angle to the rest of the church. It has three main parts and a fancy top with crenellations (like the tops of castles) and pointy decorations called pinnacles at the corners. The tower also has strong diagonal supports called buttresses. Interestingly, the north wall of the tower was once used for playing a game called fives, which is a bit like handball! The north wall of the church also has stepped buttresses between its windows.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church walls are smooth. There are round pillars that hold up the arched ceilings. The ceilings are shaped like the inside of a wagon. There are also balconies in both the north and south aisles. You can see a round font inside, which is very old and dates back to the Norman times.
The ends of the pews (the long benches where people sit) have very detailed carvings from the early 1500s. There's also a screen from the early 1900s that includes some older carved pieces from the late 1400s and early 1500s.
Church Community
The Church of St Michael is part of the Anglican Church. It serves the communities of Milverton, Halse, Fitzhead, and Ash Priors. It belongs to the larger area known as the archdeaconry of Taunton.
More to Explore
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
- List of towers in Somerset
