St Matthew's Church, Widcombe

St Matthew's Church in Widcombe is an Anglican church located on Cambridge Place in Widcombe, the southeastern section of Bath, Somerset. Built 1846-1847 principally to designs by Bath City Architect George Phillips Manners, it is situated above the Widcombe Locks of the Kennet and Avon Canal and opposite the Church Room Institute on Cambridge Place. It is one of two churches in the parish of Widcombe, the other being the much older St Thomas à Becket. The bells of St Matthew's were taken from St Becket's in 1847, possibly by force.

St. Matthew's Church
General information
Architectural styleVictorian architecture
Town or cityWidcombe, Bath
CountryEngland
Coordinates51°22′35″N 2°21′7″W
Construction started1846
Completed1847
Technical details
Structural systemBath Stone masonry
Design and construction
ArchitectG. P. Manners

The church is dismissively described by Pevsner in his Buildings of England guides as "St. Matthew, Cambridge Place, Widcombe. 1846–7 by Manners & Gill. Dull, in the Dec[orative] style, with a [south] tower carrying a broach spire."[1]

The tall spire holds 6 bells.

Refurbishment during the 1970s adapted the church for use as a parish hall and provided meeting rooms and venues for various community and church events.[2]

In the summer of 2014 a newly planted congregation led by a new full-time Priest in Charge[3] recommenced weekly worship service on Sunday evenings.

A newly launched parish website[4] covers both parish churches within Widcombe benefice and plays an active part of the wider Bath deanery.[5]



References
  1. Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, (Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1958), 107
  2. "St Matts, Bath, Widcombe". Widcombe Parish.
  3. Rev'd Tim Buckley, Vicar of Widcombe Benefice
  4. "Widcombe Church Website". Widcombe Parish - the churches of St Thomas à Becket & St Matthew's.
  5. "Bath Deanery Website".
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