The Church of St Mary in

Marston Magna Marston Magna (also known as Broad or Great Marston) is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 523. History The name Marston Magna means ''large ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England can date its origins to before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...

, however the present building largely dates from around 1360, with further rebuilding in the 15th century. It has been designated as a grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The church was held by Polsloe Priory, near Exeter from the 12th century until the dissolution of the monasteries. There are two small windows heads on each side of the central arch which remain from the Saxon church which once stood on the site, and the north wall, which includes herringbone masonry, and the font are

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

. The triple lancet east window dates from around 1230, although the glass is Victorian. The Lady Chapel is from the 15th century, as is the oak screen below the west gallery and rood screen. The three stage tower has a stair turret on the south east corner leading to the belfry, which is surmounted by

battlement A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interv ...

s, crocheted pinnacles and

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s. The vestry in the base of the tower includes a clock by William Monk, who also made the clock in

Sherborne Abbey Sherborne Abbey, otherwise the Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England church in Sherborne in the English county of Dorset. It has been a Saxon cathedral (705–1075), a Benedictine abbey church (998–1539), and since 1539, ...

, and dating from 1710. The bells were dedicated in 1912 when new land was added to the churchyard at the expense of the governors of

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marston Magna, Saint Mary 14th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in South Somerset Grade I listed churches in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset

See also

References