Category: Virtual Church Crawls

Our Treasurer, Tony Davies and William Newsom, our Photographer in Chief have been suffering withdrawal symptoms during the current lockdown, being unable to go on any of our planned Church Crawls. Unable to contain themselves any longer, they have produced a virtual church crawl. This, the first of what they hope will be many features St Mary Magdalene Langridge.

St Mary Magdalene’s Church at Langridge in the parish of Charlcombe, Somerset, England dates from the 12th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. It was restored by James Wilson between 1857 and 1861.

There is a small nave and a two-stage Norman tower. Also Norman are the chancel arch (restored 1870) and south doorway. Above the chancel arch is a rare figure of the Virgin and Child, described by English Heritage as 13th-century, but by the church guidebook as “probably 11th century”. The apse was added by Charles Edward Davis, the Bath City Architect, between 1869 and 1872.

In the nave are various monuments and memorials. A 37-inch (94 cm) brass of Elizabeth Walsche, who died in 1441, depicted in widow’s weeds, was stolen in 2002. Another monument, this one in stone, to the same woman remains. Other members of the family also commemorated including a brass dating from 1790 which was drawn by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm.

The parish is part of the benefice of Weston, Bath All Saints with North Stoke and Langridge within the deanery of Bath.

View the video here:

Following the release of Tony and William’s video, our Chairman, Dr Axel Palmer couldn’t resist the urge to produce a video as well. Here he talks about his own church of St Michael, Compton Martin.

The Parish church of St Michael the Archangel is in the village of Compton Martin, Somerset, England. The church is a grade I listed building, and several of the monuments in the church yard also have listed status. The church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel.

The church, which was built in the 12th century in a Norman style funded by William FitzWalter. The tower was added in 1441. Norman vaulting can be seen in the chancel, arcades firming aisles north and south of the nave and clerestory. There is Jacobean work in choir stalls and organ screen. In the north wall is a recess containing the effigy of Thomas de Moreton which was discovered in 1858. One of the columns in the South side of the nave has an unusual spiral fluted decoration known as an apprentices column.

Above the ceiling of the Bickfield Chapel there is a void which contains a columbarium or dovecote. This housed 140 “squabs” or pigeons in 1606 for the rector’s table.

The four stage tower is approached from the nave via a lofty Tudor paneled arch which together with the tower itself which is supported by diagonal buttresses, dates from c. 1370 or 1443. It is some 70 feet (21 m) high and contains six 18th-century bells, five of which were cast by the Bilbies of Chew Stoke.

View the virtual church crawl video below: