The Church of All Saints in

Wootton Courtenay Wootton Courtenay is a village and civil parish on Exmoor in the Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Brockwell and Huntscott. The village lies on the route of the Macmillan Way West and the ...

, Somerset, England, dates from the 13th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. A previous church on the site was given to the Priory of St. Andrews of the Ards in the 12th century. The three-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

nave, chancel and four-stage tower survive from the 13th century. They were built of local red sandstone with Hamstone dressings. In the 15th century the nave was given a new roof and the north aisle was added around the same time. Major

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

was undertaken in the 19th century when the porch was rebuilt and the height of the tower increased. Much of the woodwork in the church was carved by local craftsmen. In 1964 the roof had to be replaced because of

deathwatch beetle The deathwatch beetle (''Xestobium rufovillosum'') is a species of woodboring beetle that sometimes infests the structural timbers of old buildings. The adult beetle is brown and measures on average long. Eggs are laid in dark crevices in old w ...

. Inside the church is a 15th-century iron bound chest which was used to secure the plate and other valuables of the church. The

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

is from the 19th century. In the churchyard is an early 15th-century cross. The

calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...

at the top was replaced in the mid 19th century. The parish is part of the

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

of Dunster,

Carhampton Carhampton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, to the east of Minehead. Carhampton civil parish stretches from the Bristol Channel coast inland to Exmoor. The parish has a population of 865 (2011 census). History Iron Age occup ...

Withycombe Withycombe is a village, civil parish, and former manor south east of Dunster, and from Minehead within the Exmoor National Park in the Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the village of Rodhuish. The ...

with Roduish,

Timberscombe Timberscombe is a village and civil parish on the River Avill south-west of Dunster, and south of Minehead within the Exmoor National Park in Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Bickham. History The parish was part of the hu ...

and Wootton Courtenay within the Exmoor deanery.

References

External links

Church web page on the village web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wootton Courtenay, Church of All Saints Church of England church buildings in West Somerset 13th-century church buildings in England Grade I listed churches in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in West Somerset

See also

References

External links