Church of St Mary Magdalene, Chewton Mendip
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The Church of St Mary Magdalene in Chewton Mendip
, Somerset
, was built in the 1540s and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
in 1865. The current church, which was started in 1441 by Carthusian
monks, incorporates several Norman
features including the north doorway.
The church was a Saxon minster with subordinate chapels at Ston Easton
, Emborough
, Farrington Gurney
and Paulton
. The church was granted by William the Conquerer to the French
Jumièges Abbey
. After the confiscation of alien churches Henry V
gave it to the Priory of Sheen in Surrey
which held it until the dissolution of the monasteries
.
Wade and Wade in their 1929 book "Somerset" described the church as a "singularly interesting church, which possesses one of the most stately towers in the county".
Their description continued
It is made of Lias Stone, with a the 126 feet (38 m) tower of Doulting Stone which was "unfinished" in 1541. The tower, which dates from around 1540, contains a bell dating from 1753 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family
. In addition, there is a peal of eight bells by Taylor's of Loughborough.
Near the altar of the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Chewton Mendip, Somerset, England, there is a stone seat for criminals taking sanctuary in the church.
' for those, especially criminals, who took sanctuary in the church. The church includes monuments to Sir Henry Fitzroger and his wife who died in 1388, and to Frances, Lady Waldegrave (1879). The Waldegrave family have owned Chewton from 1553, but did not live in the village until the 1860s.
The stained glass
is largely from the 19th century but some 15th century and earlier fragments remain in the chancel window. There are three piscina
e, two medieval chests and 16th century carved bench ends. The circular Early English font
stands under the tower.
Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip is a village and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England. It is situated north of Wells, south of Bristol on the Mendip Hills and is the source of the River Chew. The parish includes the hamlet of Bathway.- History :...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, was built in the 1540s and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
History
The church has Saxon origins, with the register commencing in 560. Building work being undertaken in the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries with restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1865. The current church, which was started in 1441 by Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monks, incorporates several Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
features including the north doorway.
The church was a Saxon minster with subordinate chapels at Ston Easton
Ston Easton
Ston Easton is a linear village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is southwest of Bath and north of Shepton Mallet. It forms part of the Mendip district and lies along the A37 road south of the cities of Bristol and Bath and to the west of the town of Midsomer Norton...
, Emborough
Emborough
Emborough is a village and civil parish north of Shepton Mallet, and north east of Wells, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. It adjoins the parish of Ston Easton.-History:The name Emborough means smooth hill....
, Farrington Gurney
Farrington Gurney
Farrington Gurney is an English village and civil parish situated in Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority. The village lies on the junction of the A37 and the A362 in Somerset. The parish has a population of 846.-History:...
and Paulton
Paulton
Paulton is a large village and civil parish, with a population of 4,896, located to the north of the Mendip Hills, in the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset , England....
. The church was granted by William the Conquerer to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jumièges Abbey
Jumièges Abbey
Jumièges Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, situated in the commune of Jumièges in the Seine-Maritime département, in Normandy, France.-History:...
. After the confiscation of alien churches Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
gave it to the Priory of Sheen in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
which held it until the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
Wade and Wade in their 1929 book "Somerset" described the church as a "singularly interesting church, which possesses one of the most stately towers in the county".
Their description continued
"The arrangement of double belfry windows in the two upper stages is unusual, and the conventional lines of the elaborately pierced parapet above are relieved by the projecting stair turret and spirelet. The general effect is rich and impressive. The figure of our Lord, surrounded by four pairs of adoring angels, over the W. doorway should also be observed (cp. Batcombe). In the body of the church note should be taken of the good Norm. doorway forming the N. entrance. The interior is remarkable for an ugly bit of mediaeval vandalism. To render the altar observable from all parts of the church, a Norm. triplet, which once formed the chancel arch, has been mutilated; a pointed arch has been inserted, and the corner of the S. wall pared away. The chancel contains the only extant specimen in Somerset of a frid stool, a rough seat let into the sill of the N. window of the sacrarium for the accommodation of anyone claiming sanctuary. Note (1) piscinas of different dates in chancel; (2) change of design in arcading of nave, showing subsequent lengthening of church — the earlier columns stand on Norm. bases; (3) rood-loft doorway and ancient pulpit stairs near modern pulpit; (4) Jacobean lectern and Bible of 1611. The "Bonville" chantry, S. of chancel, contains a 15th-cent. altar-tomb with recumbent effigies of Sir H. Fitzroger and wife, and a modern mural tablet with medallion to Viscountess Waldegrave. In the churchyard is a weather-worn but fine cross, with a canopied crucifix. The Communion plate is pre-Reformation, dating from 1511."
Architecture
Bilbie family
The Bilbie family were bell founders and clockmakers based initially in Chew Stoke, Somerset and later at Cullompton, Devon in south-west England from the late 17th century to the early 19th century....
. In addition, there is a peal of eight bells by Taylor's of Loughborough.
Near the altar of the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Chewton Mendip, Somerset, England, there is a stone seat for criminals taking sanctuary in the church.
Ornaments
Near the altar is a stone seat, known as a 'fridFrith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; freedom from molestation, protection; safety, security".- Etymology :Derived from Old English friðu, friþ, it is cognate to Old Norse friðr, Old High German fridu, German Friede, Dutch vrede, West Frisian frede, Icelandic friður, Common Scandinavian fred...
' for those, especially criminals, who took sanctuary in the church. The church includes monuments to Sir Henry Fitzroger and his wife who died in 1388, and to Frances, Lady Waldegrave (1879). The Waldegrave family have owned Chewton from 1553, but did not live in the village until the 1860s.
The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
is largely from the 19th century but some 15th century and earlier fragments remain in the chancel window. There are three piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
e, two medieval chests and 16th century carved bench ends. The circular Early English font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
stands under the tower.