Church of St Mary the Virgin, Chard
Encyclopedia
The Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin in Chard
, Somerset
, England dates from the late 11th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The Perpendicular cruciform church has an aisled nave
and north and south porches. The north transept, which has an oak roof, was refurbished in 1975. The south transept contains the organ built in 1883. The church used to have galleries however these have been removed. The Fawcus chapel includes the Brewer Memorial dedicated to a local physician.
The west tower, which was built between 1505 and 1520, contains two bells, from a peal of eight, dating from the 1790s and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family
in Cullompton
. The three-stage tower has moulded string courses and an angle stair turret in the north west corner. The clock chimes each quarter hour, in a setting often known as Chard Chimes.
There is also a church room built in 1827.
In 2011 an examination of the churches' financial situation led to the use of cheaper communion wine and a proposal to turn off the floodlight which illuminate the church at night.
The parish is part of the benefice
of Chard,St. Mary with Combe St Nicholas
, Wambrook
and Whitestaunton
within the deanery of Crewkerne
and Ilminster
.
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
, 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 dates from the late 11th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The Perpendicular cruciform church has an aisled nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and north and south porches. The north transept, which has an oak roof, was refurbished in 1975. The south transept contains the organ built in 1883. The church used to have galleries however these have been removed. The Fawcus chapel includes the Brewer Memorial dedicated to a local physician.
The west tower, which was built between 1505 and 1520, contains two bells, from a peal of eight, dating from the 1790s and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family
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 Cullompton
Cullompton
Cullompton is a civil parish and town in Devon, England, locally known as Cully. It is miles north-north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2010 it had a population of 8,639 and is growing rapidly....
. The three-stage tower has moulded string courses and an angle stair turret in the north west corner. The clock chimes each quarter hour, in a setting often known as Chard Chimes.
There is also a church room built in 1827.
In 2011 an examination of the churches' financial situation led to the use of cheaper communion wine and a proposal to turn off the floodlight which illuminate the church at night.
The parish is part of the 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 Chard,St. Mary with Combe St Nicholas
Combe St Nicholas
Combe St Nicholas is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north west of Chard and from Taunton in the South Somerset district on the edge of the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The parish, which includes Wadeford and Scrapton, has a population of...
, Wambrook
Wambrook
Wambrook is a village and civil parish in the Blackdown Hills, , south of Chard in Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Higher Wambrook and Lower Wambrook which is sometimes known as Haselcombe.-History:...
and Whitestaunton
Whitestaunton
Whitestaunton is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.-History:The parish of Whitestaunton was part of the South Petherton Hundred....
within the deanery of Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
and Ilminster
Ilminster
Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...
.