All Saints Church in Castle Cary in the English county of Somerset dates from 1470 and is notable for its high steeple. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
| All Saints Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Castle Cary, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°05′12″N 2°31′00″W / 51.08667°N 2.51667°W |
| Built | 1470 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Church of All Saints |
| Designated | 24 March 1961[1] |
| Reference no. | 1056241 |
  Location of All Saints Church in Somerset | |
The parish is within the benefice of Castle Cary with Ansford which is part of the archdeaconry of Wells.[2]
History
editThe church has Saxon origins, however none of the fabric from the wooden building survive.[3] The current Perpendicular Gothic building was constructed around 1470.[1]
During the English Civil War the church was damaged and the organ destroyed.[4]
The life of the local church was described by James Woodforde in his The Diary of a Country Parson. He was born in Ansford where his father was the vicar. A display about his life and writings is available in the Castle Cary and District Museum.
It was restored by Benjamin Ferrey in the 1880s.[1] This work increased the number of "free" or unreserved seats, by increasing the length of the nave. He also raised the height of the tower.[4]
Architecture
editThe building is made of local stone with dressings from Doulting Stone Quarry. It has a slate roof with battlemented parapets.
The three stage tower contains six bells dating from 1760 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family.[5]
Interior
editThe church contains a font and wooden pulpit which both date from the 15th century.[1]
Churchyard
editThe Cosenes monument in the churchyard, which dates from the 16th century, is on the Heritage at Risk Register.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Church of All Saints (1056241)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ "All Saints, Castle Cary". A church near you. Church of England. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ Richardson, Miranda. "Castle Cary brief history". Somerset Urban Archaeological Surveys. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ a b "All Saints' and St Andrew's History". All Saints, Castle Cary & St Andrew's, Ansford. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ Moore, James; Rice, Roy; Hucker, Ernest (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0-9526702-0-8.
- ^ "Cosenes monument, Church of All Saints, Church Street, Castle Cary — South Somerset". Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.