Church of St Michael, Shepton Beauchamp
| Church of St Michael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 50°57′01″N 2°50′57″W / 50.95028°N 2.84917°W |
| Built | 13th century |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 4 February 1958[1] |
| Reference no. | 428473 |
  Location of Church of St Michael in Somerset | |
The Church of St Michael in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, England is built of local hamstone, and has 13th-century origins, although it has been extensively changed since then, with major renovation in 1865 by George Edmund Street. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]
The building is of lias and Ham stone and is made up of a chancel with a north chapel and a vestry, a nave and tall three-stage west tower,[2] dating from 1477,[3] which was largely rebuilt in the 16th century.[2] It has set-back buttresses ascending to the shafts of former pinnacles, set off with an embattled parapet and gargoyles. There are two-light traceried bell-chamber windows with stone grilles, continuing as blank openings on the ringing chamber below. There are clocks with Roman numerals to the west and south faces and a higher polygonal stair-turret to the north corner.[1] The tower holds eight bells several of which date back to 1738 and were made by the Bilbie family.[2]
The former rectory, now called Beauchamp Manor, was built in 1874 for the rector V.S.S. Coles to house his curates and visitors.[4][5]
The parish is part of the Winsmoor benefice within the Crewkerne and Ilminster deanery.[6]
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
References
- ^ a b c "Church of St Michael". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
- ^ a b c R.W. Dunning (editor), A.P. Baggs, R.J.E. Bush (1978). "Parishes: Shepton Beauchamp". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 4. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
- ^ Dunning, Robert (1980). Somerset and Avon. Edinburgh: John Bartholomew & Son. p. 125. ISBN 0-7028-8380-8.
- ^ "The Old Rectory and Beauchamp Manor". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
- ^ "St Michael's, Shepton Beauchamp". Church of England. Retrieved 6 November 2011.