English Heritage sites near North Curry Parish
MUCHELNEY ABBEY
6 miles from North Curry Parish
Once a wealthy Benedictine house, Muchelney’s main buildings were demolished by Henry VIII in 1538. See the richly decorated cloister walk and thatched monks’ lavatory – the only one in Britain.
MEARE FISH HOUSE
12 miles from North Curry Parish
The only surviving monastic fishery building in England, this housed the Abbot of Glastonbury's water bailiff and provided facilities for fish-salting and drying.
GLASTONBURY TRIBUNAL
13 miles from North Curry Parish
Fine, late 15th century stone townhouse, early Tudor façade and panelled interiors. Home to Glastonbury Lake Village Museum: discover life 2000 years ago when much of Somerset consisted of marshy sea.
CLEEVE ABBEY
19 miles from North Curry Parish
With possibly the finest cloister buildings in England, visitors can get a glimpse of monastic life 800 years ago. 15th century refectory with glorious angel roof and 13th century heraldic tiles.
DAWS CASTLE
19 miles from North Curry Parish
Daws Castle is a clifftop fortress, which was founded by King Alfred to defend the people of Watchet against Viking attacks.
SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE
21 miles from North Curry Parish
Built on a grand scale in the 12th century by the Bishop of Salisbury, Sherborne was coveted by churchmen and noblemen alike giving it a long, chequered history. Picnic, shop, light refreshments.
Churches in North Curry Parish
St Peter & St Paul
Church Road
North Curry
Taunton
http://www.athelneybenefice.com
For more information and details of all services and events please see the church's website http://www.northcurrychurch.co.uk
Now part of the Benefice of Athelney – along with the parishes of Stoke St Gregory, Lyng and Burrowbridge - North Curry’s Parish Church is frequently referred to as “The Cathedral of the Moors”. It was built on a site of an earlier Norman church in about 1300 in the Decorated style, using Ham Hill stone, blue lias, and some grey sandstone from a quarry within the parish. About a hundred years later it was updated in the Perpendicular style when the roofs of the nave and aisles were raised to accommodate larger windows. Evidences of the original pitches can be seen both outside on the south and east faces of the tower and inside on its west arch. At this time the upper stage of the tower and the parapets were added, as was the interesting collection of gargoyles and hunkypunks.
The tower has 8 bells, the heaviest weighing around 17 cwt. Most of them date from 1811, but there were bells here for a long time before then – there are records going back to 1586. Originally the bells were rung from ground level inside the church, where the central altar is now located. Then in 1833 access was made from the outside, constructing the spiral turret staircase to reach a new ringing chamber located just below the belfry.
In 2013 the church installed 54 solar panels on its nave and south isle roofs to promote the benefits of renewable energy to the congregation and the wider community.
A more detailed history to accompany a tour of the church can be found inside the church entrance.
Pubs in North Curry Parish
Bird in Hand
1 Queen Square, North Curry, TA3 6LT
(01823) 490248
birdinhandnorthcurry.co.uk
Canal
Langport Road, Wrantage, TA3 6DF
(01823) 480210
thecanalinn.com
Rising Sun
, North Curry, Knapp, TA3 6BG
(01823) 491027
therisingsunknapp.co.uk/?gclid=cj0kcqjwk...