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The church has suffered from the weather over the years and there have been various appeals for funding to repair the fabric of the building including one for £135,000, to repair the tower's stonework after two pinnacles fell through the roof. In 2009 vandals damaged some of the windows of the
446:, tenor 27 long cwt 2 qr 18 lb (3,098 lb or 1,405 kg) tuned to D. In addition there is a "flat 6th" which allows bells 2–9 to be rung as a lighter 8. The ringing bells, along with two additional bells form a
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1193:"Some account of the church of St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton, and the restoration thereof: together with several notices on ecclesiastical matters"
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at the church from 1727 until his death in 1757. He is buried in the churchyard and is commemorated with a Latin inscription within the church.
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and is a local landmark. The tower is 131 feet (40 metres) high to the roof and 158 feet (48 metres) high to the tips of the pinnacles.
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The tower was built around 1503, financed by the prosperity created by the wool trade, and was rebuilt in 1858–1862 (in replica) by Sir
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the noted
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It is built of sandstone and has a painted interior. Most of the statues and stained glass date from the
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The Parish Church Towers of
Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 – 1550
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At a special service on Sunday 13 March 2022, St Mary
Magdalene church became Taunton Minster.
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Fifty
English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England
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St Mary's church was probably established as part of the reorganisation of
Taunton by
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Taunton
Minster (St Mary Magdalene church) is now part of a combined
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church, however the stained glass, which includes fragments from the
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List of ecclesiastical parishes in the
Diocese of Bath and Wells
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Somerset
Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration
684:
Somerset
Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration
294:
955:. Central Council for Church Bell Ringers. 30 September 2007
416:, using Otter sandstone from Sir Alexander Hood's quarry at
481:
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since its medieval foundation, but it has moved towards a
458:
in 2016. There is also an older display bell cast by the
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450:, also (though technically incorrectly) referred to as a
424:. It is considered to be one of the best examples of a
610:"Church of St Mary Magdalene and churchyard, Taunton"
454:. The present ring of bells were cast by Taylors of
1706:
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1508
1701:
Church of
England church buildings in Taunton Deane
762:"The Bells of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton, Somerset"
470:were undamaged as they are protected by wire mesh.
1209:The Church of St. Mary Magdalene Taunton 1508–1908
975:
547:List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
1687:
1010:. This is Bristol. 31 March 2009. Archived from
1463:Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon
1403:All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames, London
1333:Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
334:Marlène Phillips, Jean Hall, and Nigel Birkett
1255:
1008:"Vandals strike church that got in their way"
732:
1594:Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent
1083:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
1675:Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh
1503:St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton
1128:
811:
1262:
1248:
1036:. Englands Christian Guide. Archived from
756:
754:
374:
341:Taunton Minster (St Mary Magdalene church)
29:
24:Taunton Minster (St Mary Magdalene church)
1721:Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
506:Church of St John the Evangelist, Taunton
371:. It is notable for its very tall tower.
363:. It was completed in 1508 and is in the
359:, England, dedicated to Jesus' companion
1604:Church of St Peter and St Paul, Ormskirk
394:. A new chapel was consecrated in 1437.
1206:
1080:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
889:
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859:
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1323:Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge
1303:St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham
1190:
1111:"St Mary Magdalene – More Information"
973:
816:. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. p. 70.
365:Early Tudor Perpendicular Gothic style
1649:Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny
1493:Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick
1243:
1162:"St Mary's becoming a Minster church"
805:
726:
604:
602:
576:
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314:Daphne Seddon, Peter Roe, Ronnie King
1348:Church of St John the Baptist, Frome
952:Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
899:Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
884:
614:Somerset Historic Environment Record
1716:Buildings and structures in Taunton
1711:Grade I listed churches in Somerset
1654:St John the Baptist Church, Cardiff
1413:St Marylebone Parish Church, London
1408:Christ Church, Spitalfields, London
708:"St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton"
13:
1453:St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden
1184:
1077:Sharp, Richard. "Boswell , John".
661:. Somerset Books. pp. 80–83.
599:
569:
14:
1732:
1398:All Saints Church, Fulham, London
1318:St Mary's Church, Bury St Edmunds
1216:
1076:
764:. Bell Historians. Archived from
1222:
988:from the original on 24 May 2022
895:"Taunton, Somerset, S Mary Magd"
868:England's Thousand Best Churches
367:. It is designated as a Grade I
1433:All Saints' Church, Northampton
1418:St Martin-in-the-Fields, London
1154:
1103:
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1000:
974:Gibbon, Joanna (25 July 1992).
967:
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830:
211:158 ft (48 m) (tower)
1619:Holy Trinity Church, Southport
870:. Penguin Books. p. 617.
780:
737:. Avebury Publishing Company.
700:
675:
650:
628:
495:
420:and some Igneous Diorite from
1:
1624:St Wilfrid's Church, Standish
1569:Church of St Andrew, Kildwick
1423:St Mary's Church, Lutterworth
1353:St Wulfram's Church, Grantham
1343:Holy Trinity Church, Coventry
733:Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981).
562:
280:Taunton (St Mary Magdalene) (
1599:St Mary's Church, Nottingham
1549:St Peter's Church, Harrogate
1458:St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury
1393:St Laurence's Church, Ludlow
1378:All Saints' Church, Hertford
1097:UK public library membership
812:Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985).
7:
1308:St Botolph's Church, Boston
1229:St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton
1207:Goodman, Alfred E. (1908).
844:, New York, United States:
540:
431:The tower was described by
10:
1737:
1589:St Mary's Church, Nantwich
1478:St Mary Magdalene, Taunton
1428:St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
1313:St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol
1235:St Mary Magdalene web site
582:"Church of Mary Magdalene"
552:List of towers in Somerset
189:Perpendicular Gothic style
18:Church in Taunton, England
1668:Scottish Episcopal Church
1667:
1659:St Giles' Church, Wrexham
1641:
1511:
1448:St Andrew's Church, Rugby
1298:St Paul's Church, Bedford
1285:
1278:
836:Flannery, Julian (2016).
791:. Halsgrove. p. 26.
686:. Halsgrove. p. 47.
616:. Somerset County Council
519:The church had been of a
514:Diocese of Bath and Wells
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299:The Reverend Tobie Osmond
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1166:St Mary Magdalene Church
1140:St Mary Magdalene Church
1064:The Gentleman's Magazine
925:St Mary Magdalene Church
787:Dunning, Robert (2007).
682:Dunning, Robert (2007).
657:Dunning, Robert (1996).
460:Whitechapel Bell Foundry
1584:Liverpool Parish Church
1388:St James' Church, Louth
866:Jenkins, Simon (2000).
814:Curiosities of Somerset
659:Fifty Somerset Churches
510:Archdeaconry of Taunton
439:and a clock mechanism.
403:Somerset Light Infantry
375:History and description
1696:Major Churches Network
1363:Great Yarmouth Minster
1286:Province of Canterbury
1272:Major Churches Network
1191:Cottle, James (1845).
1089:10.1093/ref:odnb/14111
586:historicengland.org.uk
282:St John the Evangelist
123:www.tauntonminster.org
947:"Taunton—S Mary Magd"
532:central churchmanship
399:Victorian restoration
1564:Kendal Parish Church
1488:Waltham Abbey Church
1358:Great Malvern Priory
1231:at Wikimedia Commons
1211:. The Phoenix Press.
1014:on 19 September 2012
410:George Gilbert Scott
385:Bishop of Winchester
170:Heritage designation
60:51.01568°N 3.10075°W
1383:King's Lynn Minster
1338:Christchurch Priory
638:. St Mary Magdalene
508:. It is within the
444:full-circle ringing
56: /
1629:Sunderland Minster
1529:Bridlington Priory
1328:Cheltenham Minster
927:. 30 November 2016
488:writer, served as
65:51.01568; -3.10075
1683:
1682:
1637:
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1609:Rotherham Minster
1539:Doncaster Minster
1373:St Mary, Hadleigh
1279:Church of England
1227:Media related to
1168:. 5 February 2022
1115:A Church Near You
1095:(Subscription or
1040:on 5 October 2011
854:978-0-500-34314-2
846:Thames and Hudson
798:978-1-84114-592-1
768:on 21 August 2008
693:978-1-84114-592-1
668:978-0-86183-309-2
534:in recent times.
345:Church of England
338:
337:
320:Director of music
162:Functional status
151:St Mary Magdalene
100:Church of England
1728:
1574:Lancaster Priory
1519:Beverley Minster
1512:Province of York
1498:Wimborne Minster
1483:Tewkesbury Abbey
1473:Shrewsbury Abbey
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1034:"Somerset Guide"
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1368:Grimsby Minster
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1185:Further reading
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1142:. 12 April 2012
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848:. pp. 392–401.
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1136:"Our History"
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1044:17 November
921:"The Bells"
525:evangelical
496:Present day
486:high church
422:Hestercombe
389:Augustinian
324:Miles Quick
186:Early Tudor
63: /
1690:Categories
1293:Bath Abbey
1099:required.)
1066:(89): 518.
642:15 October
591:19 January
563:References
521:low church
235:Canterbury
146:Dedication
48:51°00′56″N
636:"History"
528:tradition
504:with the
462:in 1922.
310:Reader(s)
195:Completed
51:3°06′03″W
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1172:21 April
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986:Archived
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718:14 April
620:14 April
541:See also
502:benefice
452:carillon
418:Williton
357:Somerset
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276:Benefice
230:Province
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1120:12 June
931:31 July
905:31 July
512:in the
353:Taunton
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270:Taunton
266:Deanery
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181:Style
1200:2009
1174:2022
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1122:2019
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