Church of St Mary, Berkley
| Church of St Mary, Berkley | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Church of St Mary, Berkley | |
| 51°14′37″N 2°16′19″W / 51.24361°N 2.27194°W | |
| Location | Berkley, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 11 March 1968 |
| Completed | 1751 |
The Church of St Mary is a Church of England parish church in Berkley, Somerset. It is a Grade II* listed building built in 1751.[1]
History[edit]
The church, dedicated to St Mary, was built in 1751 by Squire Thomas Prowse of the adjacent Berkley House.[1]
The whitewashed stone church has a west tower and a hip roof with stone slates, while the nave has a central glazed cupola. Both this cupola and the organ have been recently[when?] restored.[2][failed verification] There are a pair of 17th century panel backed chairs. The font, pulpit and pews date from the mid 19th century.[1]
Grounds[edit]
The walls and gate piers around the church date from the mid 18th century.[3]
The graveyard contains the graves of the local population including some notable tombs. The tomb of William Hall is made of Doulting Stone and dates from 1670.[4] The Bath stone tomb of Joseph Singer is inscribed for several members of the Singer family from the 18th and early 19th centuries.[5] There are also several unidentified tombs.[6][7][8]
Present day[edit]
The parish is part of the benefice of Beckington with Standerwick, Berkley, Lullington, Orchardleigh and Rodden within the archdeanery of Wells.[9]
The church stands in the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England.[9]
Services[edit]
There are services every Sunday morning, with a family service on the third Sunday of every month.
Village school[edit]
The local school was built around 1860, near the church. It is now Berkley CofE First School, with voluntary aided status.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1295976)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ "St Mary's Church, Berkley, Somerset, UK BA11 5JH". Beckington.org. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Gate piers and side walls and piers, about 180 metres North, Church of St Mary (1374832)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "William Hall chest tomb, in churchyard 3 metres North of nave, Church of St Mary (1058190)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Joseph Singer Chest Tomb, in churchyard 22 metres West of porch, Church of St Mary (1058191)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Unknown Chest tomb, in churchyard 27 metres West of porch, Church of St Mary (1173971)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Unknown Chest tomb, in churchyard 2 metres North West of porch, Church of Saint Mary (1295982)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Unknown Chest tomb, in churchyard 21 metres West of porch, Church of St Mary (1374831)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ a b "St George's, Beckington". Church of England. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "History of the School". Berkley Church of England First School. Retrieved 21 February 2019.