The Church of St Mary at Charlynch in the parish of
Spaxton,
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, England was an
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
Parish Church, but has now been deconsecrated. It dates from the 11th century with a tower probably of 1867. It has been designated as a Grade I
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
History
The lordship of the parish and the right to appoint the rector was held by the manor of
Currypool from 1245 until 1681. It was later under the patronage of the
Martyrs Memorial Trust until the church closed in 1981.
The church building included a
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
with a south porch and a
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
al south chapel. The
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
had the vestry and organ chamber attached. The three-stage west tower was added in the 19th century. There is some 15th-century
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
in the transept.
The
Norman church included a doorway and
chancel arch
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ove ...
considered
Romanesque. The
font
In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design.
For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
is from a similar period.
The church contains monuments and tablets to the family of
Admiral Robert Blake. A reredos was erected in 1893 in memory of Lady Mary Taunton.
After deconsecration in 1981 the altar was moved to the
Church of St Margaret, Spaxton.
Since 1986 the church has been converted into a private residence. The former Rectory was sold in 1951 and divided into two private homes, known as Charlinch House and Tudor House.
Henry James Prince
In 1840 the Reverend
Henry James Prince was appointed curate at Charlynch. His energetic and animated preaching and his unconventional theology led to what he later described as the ''Charlinch Revival''. In 1842,
Bishop Law of
Bath and Wells revoked Prince's
licence to preach. He was subsequently defrocked and later founded the
Agapemone
The Agapemonites or Community of The Son of Man was a Christianity, Christian Religious denomination, religious group or sect that existed in England from 1846 to 1956. It was named from the meaning "abode of love". The Agapemone community was ...
at
Spaxton and declared himself to be an incarnation of Christ.
See also
*
List of Grade I listed buildings in Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a former local government district in the English county of Somerset. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cul ...
*
List of towers in Somerset
The Somerset towers, church towers built in the 14th to 16th centuries, have been described as among England's finest contributions to medieval art. The paragraphs and descriptions below describe features of some of these towers. The organization ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spaxton, Saint Mary
Church of England church buildings in Sedgemoor
Charlynch
Grade I listed buildings in Sedgemoor
Charlynch