Church of St Mary, Bruton
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Mary in Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...

, 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...

, England was built in the 14th century. It has been designated a Grade I listed building.

The first church on the site was founded by Ine of Wessex
Ine of Wessex
Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...

 in the 7th century, which grew into an Augustinian Bruton Abbey
Bruton Abbey
Bruton Abbey in Bruton, Somerset was originally founded as a Benedictine priory by Algar, Earl of Cornwall in about 1005. It was subsequently refounded as a house of Augustinian canons in 1135, by William de Mohun, who later became the Earl of Somerset. The village used the north aisle of the...

 the remains of which can be seen next to the church.

It has two towers, one of which dates from around 1456. The 102.5 feet (31.2 m) high west tower houses the oldest bell in Somerset dating from 1528.

The chancel was rebuilt in 1743, by Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson was a potter, architect and mason from Wincanton working in Somerset, England.He rebuilt much of the centre of Wincanton following a fire in 1707....

 for Sir Charles Berkeley. The Berkeley family have a long association with the town and the church. William Berkeley left Bruton for America becoming colonial governor of Virginia. The church has links with Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...

 in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...

 in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...

, USA.

The Bruton and District benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...

, of which the parish of Bruton with Wyke Champflower and Redlynch
Redlynch, Somerset
Redlynch is a village in the civil parish of Bruton within the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.In the mid 12th century Redlynch belonged to Henry Lovel of Castle Cary.Redlynch was part of the hundred of Bruton....

 is a part, also includes: Batcombe
Batcombe, Somerset
Batcombe is a village and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, situated in the steep valley of the River Alham five miles south-east of Shepton Mallet. The parish has a population of 379...

, Brewham
Brewham
Brewham is a civil parish in Somerset, England, consisting of the villages of North Brewham and South Brewham, on either side of the river in the Brue Valley east of Bruton and south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The parish has a population of 410.-History:The name of the...

, Lamyatt, Pitcombe
Pitcombe
Pitcombe is a village and civil parish south-west of Bruton and from Wincanton in Somerset, England. It has a population of 549. The parish includes the hamlets of Cole and Godminster....

, Shepton Montague
Shepton Montague
Shepton Montague is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated on the River Pitt in the South Somerset district midway between Wincanton, Bruton and Castle Cary....

 and Upton Noble
Upton Noble
Upton Noble is a village and civil parish on the River Frome. It is roughly north-east of Bruton, and from Frome town centre, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England....

.

See also

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