St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton facts for kids
.JPG)
The St Michael and All Angels church is a very special building in the village of Great Badminton, Gloucestershire, England. It's located on the large estate of the Duke of Beaufort. This church is an active Anglican church, meaning it's still used for services today. Even though it's on the Duke's land, the local church group, called the Parochial Church Council, owns and takes care of it. There's also a smaller church with the same name nearby in Little Badminton.
About the Church Building
The church you see today was built in 1785 by a person named Charles Evans. It was designed to look like a smaller version of a famous church in London called St Martin-in-the-Fields. Before this church, there was an older, medieval church that was taken down.
Inside, the main part of the church, called the nave, has a curved ceiling that looks like a tunnel. It's decorated with fancy plasterwork. There are also arched walkways on the sides, called aisles, with small dome shapes. The back part of the church, where the altar is, called the chancel and apse, was added later in 1875. This was done to make space for a very detailed monument to the first Duke of Beaufort. This monument was moved here in 1878 from another chapel.
Many parts of the church are quite old. The pulpit, where sermons are given, and the box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas, are from 1785. Other parts, like the organ case, choir stalls, the decorated screen behind the altar called the reredos, and the communion rail, were made in 1908. The church has eight beautiful stained glass windows, four on each side. These windows were made in 1846-1847 and show family symbols and designs in blue and yellow colors.
Tombs of the Somerset Family
St Michael and All Angels church is the main burial place for the Somerset family, who live at Badminton House. For a long time, until about 1910, the Dukes and Duchesses of Beaufort and their important relatives were buried in a special vault underneath the church. Later Dukes and Duchesses were buried in the small churchyard outside.
Inside the church, you can see a large monument to the first Duke of Beaufort (who lived from 1629 to 1700). This monument was created by a famous artist named Grinling Gibbons. It shows the Duke lying down in his special robes on top of a stone coffin. There are also tall, decorated columns and figures representing Justice and Truth. High above, there's a cushion with a crown on it. Above the Duke, curtains are pulled back to show angels. The monument has a Latin message listing his family and the important jobs he held.
Two other Dukes, the second Duke (1684–1714) and the third Duke (1707–1745), are remembered with another amazing monument. This one is at the east end of the north aisle and was made by John Michael Rysbrack in 1754. It shows the two dukes dressed in Roman-style clothes. One is standing, and the other is sitting on a stone coffin, holding a medal.
Many members of the Somerset family are buried in or near the church, including several Dukes and Duchesses of Beaufort and other notable relatives.
