The Church of St Mary in

Meare Meare is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, north-west of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels. The parish includes the village of Westhay. History Meare is a marshland village in typical Somerset "rhyne" country, standing on the s ...

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 formerly in the keeping of

Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It wa ...

, and dates from 1323. It was built for Abbot Adam of Sodbury, and is 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 ...

. There is a legend that the church was built on the site of a cell of the monk Saint Beonna (also Benen or Beon), who was later confused with

Benignus of Armagh Benignus of Armagh (died 467) was the son of Sesenen, an Irish chieftain in the part of Ireland that is now called County Meath. Life He was baptised into the Christian faith by Saint Patrick, and became his favourite disciple and his coadjut ...

, between the 5th and 9th centuries. His remains was moved to Glastonbury Abbey in 1091. The current

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 ...

and tower date from the building's construction in 1323 when it was consecrated by John Droxford, the

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...

. Around 1470 the

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 ...

was rebuilt by Abbot John Selwood and the work completed by Abbot

Richard Beere Richard Beere (or Bere) (born before 1493; died 20 January 1524) was an English Benedictine abbot of Glastonbury, known as a builder for his abbey, as a diplomat and scholar, and a friend of Erasmus. Life He was installed as abbot in 1493, the ...

. The church has a 15th-century stone

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

, wooden chest from 1705 and candelabra from 1777. The tower holds a peal of six bells. 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 Glastonbury

St John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

and

St Benedict Benedict of Nursia (; ; 2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known as Saint Benedict, was a Christian monk. He is famed in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old Catholic Ch ...

with Meare, which is part of the Glastonbury deanery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meare, Church of St Mary Buildings and structures completed in 1323 Grade I listed churches in Somerset Church of England church buildings in Mendip District Grade I listed buildings in Mendip District

See also

References