- Church of St Mary the Virgin, Chard
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Church of St Mary the Virgin 
Location: Chard, Somerset, England Coordinates: 50°52′09″N 2°57′48″W / 50.86917°N 2.96333°WCoordinates: 50°52′09″N 2°57′48″W / 50.86917°N 2.96333°W Built: 11th century Listed Building – Grade I Designated: 24 March 1950[1] Reference #: 374037 
Location of Church of St Mary the Virgin in SomersetThe Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin in Chard, Somerset, England dates from the late 11th century and was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]
The Perpendicular cruciform church has an aisled nave and north and south porches. The north transept, which has an oak roof, was refurbished in 1975. The south transept contains the organ built in 1883.[2] The church used to have galleries however these have been removed. The Fawcus chapel includes the Brewer Memorial dedicated to a local physician.[3]
The west tower, which was built between 1505 and 1520,[4] contains two bells, from a peal of eight, dating from the 1790s and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family in Cullompton.[5] The three-stage tower has moulded string courses and an angle stair turret in the north west corner.[1] The clock chimes each quarter hour, in a setting often known as Chard Chimes.[2]
There is also a church room built in 1827.[6]
In 2011 an examination of the churches' financial situation led to the use of cheaper communion wine and a proposal to turn off the floodlight which illuminate the church at night.[7]
The parish is part of the benefice of Chard,St. Mary with Combe St Nicholas, Wambrook and Whitestaunton within the deanery of Crewkerne and Ilminster. [8]
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset
- List of towers in Somerset
References
- ^ a b c "Church of St Mary the Virgin". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=374037. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
- ^ a b "St Mary's Church, Chard". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2006/07/18/sacred_somerset_st_marys_church_chard_feature.shtml. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "History". St Mary's Chard. http://www.stmaryschard.co.uk/history.html. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0861275020.
- ^ Moore, James; Roy Rice & Ernest Hucker (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0952670208.
- ^ "Church Room". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=374038. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
- ^ "St Mary's Church in Chard makes changes to save money". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_9412000/9412588.stm. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "Chard: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Chard". Church of England. http://acny.co.uk/7956/. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
Categories:- Church of England churches in Somerset
- Grade I listed churches
- Grade I listed buildings in Somerset
- Chard, Somerset
- 11th-century church buildings
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