Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Huish Episcopi

The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Huish Episcopi, Somerset, England has 12th-century origins, but was largely rebuilt in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]

St Mary's Burne-Jones window, depicting the Nativity
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary
LocationHuish Episcopi, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°02′09″N 2°49′05″W
Built14th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated17 April, 1959[1]
Reference no.263125
Location of Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Somerset

St Mary's Church also serves nearby Langport. Built in blue lias with golden hamstone decoration, the church is most noted for its classic 100 feet (30 m) Somerset tower, deemed to be an architectural companion piece to St Martin's Church in Kingsbury Episcopi.

A church was present on the site during the 11th century.[2] The current church was built after a fire in the previous structure. It was dedicated in 1232.[3]

St Mary's tower dates from around 1500 and was built in four stages replacing an earlier central tower.[4] It is extensively embellished with pinnacles and quatrefoil panel bands. In the north-east corner is an octagonal stair turret which reaches the full height of the tower.[5] The tower was depicted on a postage stamp in 1972.[6][2]

A stained glass window by Edward Burne-Jones is also noteworthy.[1]

The churchyard contains two Commonwealth war graves, of a Lincolnshire Regiment soldier of World War I and a Royal Artillery soldier of World War II.[7]

See also

References
  1. Historic England. "Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1056633)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  2. Dunning, Robert (1996). Fifty Somerset Churches. Somerset Books. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-0861833092.
  3. "Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (PDF). Huish Episcopi. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. Dunning, Robert (2007). Somerset Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration. Halsgrove. p. 13. ISBN 978-1841145921.
  5. The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset, by Nikolaus Pevsner. Penguin Books 1958; Reprinted by Yale University Press, 2003, p. 202.
  6. "Postage stamp depicting St Mary's Church". Huish Episcopi. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  7. CWGC cemetery report, details from casualty record.
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