| Church of St Mary | |
|---|---|
 View from the south-west | |
  Location within Somerset | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Yatton |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°23′06″N 2°49′07″W / 51.3850°N 2.8185°W |
| Completed | 14th century |
The Church of St Mary in central Yatton, Somerset, England, is often called the Cathedral of the Moors due to its size and grandeur in relation to the village.[1] It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.[2][3]
While the current church was constructed in the 14th century, it is likely that a previous church was located on the same site. The chapel which was added in 1496,[4] and various other alterations and expansions of the church can be seen in the account which have survived since 1445.[5]
The central tower, which was built around 1400,[6] has three stages with diagonal weathered buttresses with crocketed pinnacles. There is a south-east hexagonal stair turret rising above the parapet with panelled sides to the top, and an open cusped parapet.[2] Unusually for Somerset a Dundry stone steeple was built in 1455–1456. In 1595 freemasons were engaged to take down the spire and reduce it to its present dimensions. There is a ring of bells within the tower.[7] The tower was damaged by fire in 1991,[8] resulting in the fourth bell having to be recast.
The 15th century Old Rectory is also a Grade I listed building.[9]
- ^ "St. Mary the Virgin, Yatton". Yatton Moor Team Ministry. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1137349)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1137349)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ Dunning, Robert (2007). Somerset Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration. Halsgrove. p. 44. ISBN 978-1841145921.
- ^ Dunning, Robert (1996). Fifty Somerset Churches. Somerset Books. pp. 29–32. ISBN 978-0861833092.
- ^ Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
- ^ "Yatton Blessed Virgin Mary". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ^ "A Brief History of St. Mary's, Yatton". Yatton Moor Team Ministry. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "The Old Rectory (1137331)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 April 2009.