The Anglican Church of St Michael and All Angels in
Haselbury Plucknett,
Somerset, England was built in the 14th century. It is a Grade II*
listed building.
History
The church was built in the 14th and 15th centuries with
Victorian restoration in the 19th, which included rebuilding the
chancel.
A prior church on the site was visited by
Saint Wulfric in 1125. He wished to spend the rest of his life as an
anchorite
In Christianity, an anchorite or anchoret (female: anchoress) is someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, or Eucharist-focused life. While anchorites are ...
, withdrawn from the world, living in a cell adjacent to the church. This cell stood on the cold northern side of the chancel where the vestry is now. Although he apparently failed to obtain episcopal permission for this move, he was supported by the
Cluniac monks at
Montacute
Montacute is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 831 (2011 census). The name Montacute is thought by some to derive from the Latin "Mons Acutus", referrin ...
.
["The hermit who informed an English king that he would soon die", ''Catholic Herald'', 21 February 2013]
/ref> Sir William FitzWalter had a great respect for his saintly neighbour; he sent provisions to him and visited him from time to time. Wulfric numbered among his intimate friends Osbern, the village priest; William, a lay brother of Forde Abbey; and Brichtric, who seems to have joined him as a disciple or attendant.[Clay, Rotha Mary. ''Hermits and Anchorites of England'', p.74, Methuen & Co., Ltd., London, 1914]
/ref> According to Abbot John of Forde Abbey, Wulfric lived alone in these simple quarters for 29 years, devoting much of his time to reading the Bible and praying. In keeping with the ideals of medieval spirituality, he adopted stern ascetic practices: he deprived himself of sleep, ate a frugal meatless diet, spent hours reciting the psalms sitting in a bath of cold water, and wore a hair shirt and heavy chain-mail tunic.["Wulfric at St. Michael's, 1125-1154", St. Michael and All Angels Church, Haselbury Pluckett, Somerset]
/ref>
The parish is part of the Wulfric 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 ...
within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
Architecture
The stone building has slate roofs. It has a four-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 and single-bay chancel with a porch and vestry. The three-stage tower is supported by corner buttresses.
See also
* List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
References
{{reflist
Grade II* listed buildings in South Somerset
Grade II* listed churches in Somerset
Church of England church buildings in South Somerset