Church of St Mary, Orchardlea

Church of St Mary
Location within Somerset
General information
Town or city	Lullington
Country	England
Coordinates	51°15′28″N 2°19′33″W / 51.2578°N 2.3259°W / 51.2578; -2.3259
Completed	13th century

The Church of St Mary sits on an island in the 11.23-hectare artificial Orchardleigh Lake in the grounds of the Orchardleigh Estate within the parish of Lullington, Somerset, England. It was built in the 13th century, and underwent extensive restoration by Sir George Gilbert Scott, for the Rev. W. A. Duckworth, in 1878. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.^[1]

The church includes sculpture from the 14th century and [[stained glass] from the 15th. Around 1800 Thomas Champneys of the Mostyn-Champneys Baronets who ownded the estate had a moat dug around the church.^[2]

Weddings are often performed at the church, which has capacity for 120 guests. It is linked from the mainland via a footbridge, and a public footpath runs nearby over another bridge across the lake. The church does not have an electricity supply and therefore services are candlelit. The organ is pumped by hand.^[3]

The Anglican parish is part of the benefice of Beckington with Standerwick, Berkley, Rodden and Orchardleigh within the Frome deanery.^[4]

See also

• List of Grade I listed buildings in Mendip
• List of towers in Somerset

References

1. ^ "Church of St. Mary, causeway bridge, and gates". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267143. Retrieved 20 November 2007. 
2. ^ McGarvie, Michael. "History". Beckington Village. http://www.beckington.org.uk/church/orchardleigh/orchardleigh-history.htm. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
3. ^ "St Mary's Church". Beckington. http://www.beckington.org.uk/church/orchardleigh/orchardleigh.htm. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
4. ^ "St. Mary's, Orchardleigh". Church of England. http://www.achurchnearyou.com/orchardleigh-st-marys/. Retrieved 4 November 2011.