St Michael's Church, Monkton Combe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Monkton Combe |
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| 51°21′22″N 2°19′43″W / 51.35611°N 2.32861°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Michael |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Monkton Combe |
| Diocese | Bath and Wells |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Michael's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Monkton Combe, Somerset, England. It is a very old building, considered a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical site. For many years, it was also the church for the nearby area of Combe Down until the 1850s.
Contents
About St Michael's Church
Most of the church you see today was built in the mid-1800s. It shows a style called Early English Gothic Revival. This means it was designed to look like churches from the early medieval period in England.
The church has a steep roof made of different colored Welsh Slate tiles. This roof, along with other features, helps you spot the church from far away. On top of the main tower, there is a shiny, golden weather vane shaped like a rooster.
The First Church: Norman Times
The village of Monkton Combe got its name because it was once owned by the monks of Bath Abbey. The very first church on this spot was thought to be a "Norman" church. This means it was built a long, long time ago, around the time of the Norman conquest of England.
Records from 1757 describe this old church. It was quite small, about 50 feet long and 16 feet wide. It had a tiled roof and a small stone tower with two little bells. This first church was also dedicated to St. Michael.
A New Church in the 1800s
Around the early 1800s, the old Norman church needed a lot of repairs. Instead of fixing it, the local people decided to pull it down. They used the old materials to build a new church in 1814. This new church was about the same size and could seat only 95 people.
However, this church didn't last very long either. In 1863, a new vicar named Reverend Francis Pocock arrived. He found the church in bad shape and too small for the growing village. So, he bravely decided to rebuild the entire church. Reverend Pocock also went on to start Monkton Combe School in 1868.
The Church Bells
The church tower holds a set of eight bells that can play a chime. These bells were put in place to remember Reverend Francis Pocock, who was the vicar from 1863 to 1875.
The bells were made by a company called J. Taylor in Loughborough. They were officially dedicated at Easter in 1927 by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells. The church also has two smaller, very old bells. These bells are survivors from one of the earlier church buildings on this site.
The Church Organ
Inside the church, there is a special musical instrument called a pipe organ. This organ has two keyboards and was made by a company called Henry Jones and Sons.
A Special Grave in the Churchyard
The churchyard, which is the burial ground around the church, has a very important grave. It is the resting place of Harry Patch. He was known as the "Last Fighting Tommy" because he was the last surviving British Army soldier who fought in World War I.
Harry Patch lived to be 111 years old. He was buried in the churchyard in July 2009, close to the graves of several members of his family.
See also
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
