Church of St Matthew, Wookey

Church of St Matthew
Two bay building with square tower with spirelet. In the foreground are gravestones in a grassy area.
Location within Somerset
General information
Town or city Wookey
Country England
Coordinates 51°12′33″N 2°41′21″W / 51.2093°N 2.6893°W / 51.2093; -2.6893
Completed 12th century

The Church of St Matthew in Wookey, Somerset, England, dates from the twelfth century and is a Grade I listed building.[1]

The church was granted to the dean of Wells by Bishop Robert, rebuilt by Bishop Reginald and assigned to the sub dean of the cathedral in 1209. The south chancel is thought to have been built to house the memorial to Thomas Clerke in 1556.[2] The tower dates from the 15th century it held five bells until 1949 when a sixth was added. In 1906 the tower was struck by lightning.[3]

A major restoration in the 19th century included a new roof but preserved the 15th century beams.[3]

Beside the church stands the 19th-century Mellifont Abbey,[4] which is named after the abbey of the same name in Ireland.[2]

The parish is part of the benefice of Coxley with Godney, Henton and Wookey within the Shepton Mallet deanery.[5]

Monuments

In the tower, behind the organ, there is a monument to Sir Jacob Wolff, 1st Baronet who was also a Baron of the Holy Roman Empire. He and his wife resided in Mellifont Abbey (now a care home) next to the church.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Church of St Matthew". Images of England. Retrieved 26 November 2006.
  2. 1 2 Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The complete guide. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. ISBN 1-874336-27-X.
  3. 1 2 "St Matthews". Wookey Parish. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Mellifont Abbey". Images of England. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  5. ↑ "St Matthew, Wookey". Church of England. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
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