St Thomas à Becket Church, Widcombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Thomas à Beckett Church |
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| 51°22′24″N 2°20′48″W / 51.373425°N 2.346556°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | https://widcombe.church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Thomas Becket |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Widcombe |
| Deanery | Bath |
| Archdeaconry | Bath |
| Diocese | Bath & Wells |
St Thomas à Becket Church is an old church in Widcombe, a part of Bath, Somerset in southwest England. It is one of several churches named after Thomas Becket, a famous historical figure. This church is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of the Church
Building the Church
The church you see today was built a long time ago, between 1490 and 1498. A man named John Cantlow, who was in charge of Bath Abbey, oversaw its construction. It was built on the same spot where an even older Norman church once stood.
There's a cool story that a weaver (someone who makes cloth) actually founded the church. If you look closely at the outside of the tower, you might spot a shield with a weaver's shuttle on it. This symbol supports the old tale! People also believe there might have been a Saxon chapel here even before the Norman church.
For many years, this church was known as Old Widcombe Church. It was the main church for the areas of Widcombe and Lyncombe. Records from 1086 show a small village around the church, but no signs of it remain today.
The Bells Move
In 1847, a much bigger church called St Matthew's was built in Widcombe. On April 22, 1847, it was announced that the church bells from St Thomas à Becket would be moved to the new St Matthew's. These bells had been in St Thomas's tower for hundreds of years! Legend says the bells were taken by force from the people guarding St Thomas's.
Saving the Church
After St Matthew's opened, some people thought St Thomas à Becket should be closed because it was in bad shape. But people in the community raised money to fix it up. In 1860, new windows were put in, and the tower's ceiling was made 10 feet taller. More repairs and improvements happened in the years that followed.
In 1889, a new organ was installed, and special seats for the choir were added in the chancel (the part of the church near the altar).
On January 15, 1924, something unusual happened. What was thought to be the first-ever evening service was held at the church. Old church records showed that only morning services had been held there before!
Burials at the Church
Over the centuries, several people have been buried at St Thomas à Becket Church. Some notable burials include:
- William Keasberry in 1797
- Members of the Bennet family, who had a family tomb there in the 1700s.
See also
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
