Kingsbury Episcopi

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 50.9852
longitude= -2.8088
official_name= Kingsbury Episcopi
population= 1,277cite web |url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/statistics/contents/population/estimates/2002mye/ |title=2002 population estimates |accessdate=2008-01-24 |format= |work=Somerset County Council ]
shire_district= South Somerset
shire_county = Somerset
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Somerton and Frome
post_town= Martock
postcode_district = TA12
postcode_area= TA
dial_code= 01935
os_grid_reference= ST433209

Kingsbury Episcopi is a village and parish on the River Parrett in Somerset, England, situated nine miles north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 1,277. The parish includes the villages of West Lambrook, East Lambrook and Thorney.

The "Episcopi" part of the village's name means "of the Bishop" in Latin. It refers to that fact that the village belonged to the Bishop of Bath and Wells and not the nearby abbey at Muchelney.

Today Kingsbury is known for its May Festival which is held on the May Day Bank Holiday and attracts over 4,000 visitors.

Kingsbury Episcopi's church of St. Martin boasts an ornate Somerset Tower, convert|99|ft|m|0 tall, made of stone from nearby Ham Hill. Pevsner describes the chancel and chapels of the church as "gloriously lit" and advises visiting on a fine morning. He writes that the nave is older than the rest of the church, "no doubt of before 1400, and not yet infected with the later exuberance" of the Late Perpendicular style of the tower and other parts of St. Martin's [cite book |title=The buildings of England, South and West Somerset |last=Pevsner |first=Nikolaus |authorlink=Nikolaus Pevsner |coauthors= |year=1958 |publisher=Penguin Books (Reprinted by Yale Univ Press, 2003) |location= |isbn= |pages= ] . Poyntz Wright suggests the west tower was built in 1515. [cite book |title=The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550 |last=Poyntz Wright |first=Peter |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1981 |publisher=Avebury Publishing Company |location= |isbn=0861275020 |pages= ] It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. [cite web | title=Church of St. Martin | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=264374 | accessdate=2008-01-24]

Other historic buildings in the village include many old houses, the Wyndham Arms, [cite web | title=Wyndham Arms | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=264388 | accessdate=2008-01-24] Wesleyan church [cite web | title=Congregational Chapel, now United Reformed Church | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=264399 | accessdate=2008-01-24] and an octagonal village lock-up . [cite web | title=Lock-up (previously listed as The Round House) | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=264442 | accessdate=2008-01-24]

The village will also host Yeovil Town FC's training facilities.

References

External links

* [http://www.kingsburymayfestival.co.uk/ Kingsbury May Festival]
* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/kingsburyepiscopi.htm Photos of Kingsbury Episcopi in 3d (Anaglyphs)]