Church of St Mary the Virgin, Chard

The Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin in Chard, Somerset, England dates from the late 11th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1] Due to the effects of a leak in the roof it was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2013. [2]

Church of St Mary the Virgin
LocationChard, Somerset, England
Coordinates50°52′09″N 2°57′48″W
Built11th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated24 March 1950[1]
Reference no.374037
Location of Church of St Mary the Virgin in Somerset

The Perpendicular cruciform church has an aisled nave and north and south porches. The north transept has an oak roof, which was refurbished in 1975. The south transept contains the organ, built in 1883.[3] The church used to have galleries. The Fawcus chapel in the north aisle, dedicated to a local physician, includes the Brewer Memorial .[4]

The west tower was built between 1505 and 1520[5] and contains a peal of eight bells, of which two were made in the 1790s by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family in Cullompton.[6] The three-stage tower has moulded string courses and an angle stair turret in the north-west corner.[1] The clock chimes each quarter-hour in a setting often known as Chard Chimes.[3]

There is a church room built in 1827.[7]

In 2011 an examination of the church's financial situation led to the use of cheaper communion wine and a proposal to turn off the floodlights that illuminate the church at night.[8]

The parish is part of the benefice of Chard, St. Mary with Combe St Nicholas, Wambrook and Whitestaunton within the deanery of Crewkerne and Ilminster. [9]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St Mary the Virgin". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
  2. "Church of St Mary the Virgin, Church Street, Chard Town — South Somerset". Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  3. "St Mary's Church, Chard". BBC. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  4. "History". St Mary's Chard. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  5. Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
  6. Moore, James; Rice, Roy; Hucker, Ernest (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0-9526702-0-8.
  7. "Church Room". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  8. "St Mary's Church in Chard makes changes to save money". BBC. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  9. "Chard: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Chard". Church of England. Retrieved 18 September 2011.


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