Church of St Barnabas, Queen Camel

The Church of St Barnabas in Queen Camel, Somerset, England was built in the 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]

Church of St Barnabas
Stone building with square tower.
LocationQueen Camel, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°01′19″N 2°34′26″W
Built14th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated24 March 1961[1]
Reference no.431093
Church of St Barnabas, Queen Camel is located in Somerset
Church of St Barnabas, Queen Camel
Location of Church of St Barnabas in Somerset

A former church in Queen Camel was the mother church to Somerton, Chilton Cantelo and the surrounding area before 1140. In the 12th century the church was given to Cleeve Abbey.[2] The first recorded rector was in 1317.[1] The church underwent Victorian restoration in 1888.[2]

The church has a 96 feet (29 m) high tower, built in five stages,[3][1] which dates from around 1491,[4] The tower contains a heavy ring of six bells. While St Buryan in Cornwall is home to the heaviest ring of six bells by the weight of the tenor bell alone,[5] Queen Camel is the heaviest six in the world by total weight (all the bells combined).[6][7]

The interior contains memorials to many of the Mildmay family,[1] who were Lords of the manor. There is a wooden rood screen and octagonal stone font supported by four large carved supports.[8]

The churchyard contains a Commonwealth war grave of a Royal Navy seaman of World War I.[9]

The parish is part of the Cam Vale benefice, which includes Corton Denham, Sparkford, Sutton Montis, West Camel and Weston Bampfylde, within the Bruton and Cary deanery.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St Barnabas". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  2. "Religious History" (PDF). Victoria County History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  3. "Church History". Queen Camel Village. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  4. 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.
  5. "Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers". dove.cccbr.org.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  6. "St Barnabas, Queen Camel". Church of England. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  7. "St Barnabas — The Clock and Bells". Queen Camel Parish Council. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  8. "Queen Camel, St. Barnabas". English Church Architecture. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  9. CWGC Casualty record.
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