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Taunton Minster

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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 1033: 556: 1705: 1007: 1700: 1079: 1720: 707: 546: 1583: 1261: 985: 1462: 1193:"Some account of the church of St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton, and the restoration thereof: together with several notices on ecclesiastical matters" 1037: 492:
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 Puritan minister and author was curate of the church in the 1660s and is buried in the churchyard.
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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
387:, by 1180, and has been the town church since 1308. Prior to 1308 the church was dependent on the 1417: 509: 447: 402: 229: 1110: 1382: 1362: 1271: 537:
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
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Somerset Churches and Chapels: Building Repair and Restoration
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since its medieval foundation, but it has moved towards a
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in 2016. There is also an older display bell cast by the
1269: 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
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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: 887: 865: 859: 786: 751: 681: 656: 1688: 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: 574: 572: 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: 1070: 1052: 1026: 1000: 974:Gibbon, Joanna (25 July 1992). 967: 939: 913: 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 328: 318: 308: 303: 299:The Reverend Tobie Osmond 293: 288: 274: 264: 252: 240: 228: 223: 215: 207: 202: 194: 179: 169: 161: 156: 144: 134: 129: 117: 105: 93: 85: 75: 41: 37: 28: 23: 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: 1636: 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 1283: 1282: 1264: 1257: 1250: 1241: 1240: 1226: 1212: 1203: 1201: 1199: 1178: 1177: 1175: 1173: 1158: 1152: 1151: 1149: 1147: 1132: 1126: 1125: 1123: 1121: 1107: 1101: 1100: 1092: 1074: 1068: 1067: 1056: 1050: 1049: 1047: 1045: 1034:"Somerset Guide" 1030: 1024: 1023: 1021: 1019: 1004: 998: 997: 995: 993: 979: 977:"Church Appeals" 971: 965: 964: 962: 960: 943: 937: 936: 934: 932: 917: 911: 910: 908: 906: 891: 882: 881: 863: 857: 834: 828: 827: 809: 803: 802: 784: 778: 777: 775: 773: 758: 749: 748: 730: 724: 723: 721: 719: 704: 698: 697: 679: 673: 672: 654: 648: 647: 645: 643: 632: 626: 625: 623: 621: 606: 597: 596: 594: 592: 578: 442:12 are hung for 125: 71: 70: 68: 67: 66: 61: 57: 54: 53: 52: 49: 33: 21: 20: 1736: 1735: 1731: 1730: 1729: 1727: 1726: 1725: 1686: 1685: 1684: 1679: 1663: 1642:Church in Wales 1633: 1544:Halifax Minster 1507: 1468:Sherborne Abbey 1368:Grimsby Minster 1274: 1270:Members of the 1268: 1219: 1197: 1195: 1187: 1185:Further reading 1182: 1181: 1171: 1169: 1160: 1159: 1155: 1145: 1143: 1142:. 12 April 2012 1134: 1133: 1129: 1119: 1117: 1109: 1108: 1104: 1094: 1075: 1071: 1058: 1057: 1053: 1043: 1041: 1032: 1031: 1027: 1017: 1015: 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Index


51°00′56″N 3°06′03″W / 51.01568°N 3.10075°W / 51.01568; -3.10075
Taunton
Denomination
Church of England
Churchmanship
Central
www.tauntonminster.org
Parish church
Dedication
St Mary Magdalene
Grade I listed
Style
Early Tudor
Perpendicular Gothic style
Province
Canterbury
Diocese
Bath and Wells
Archdeaconry
Taunton
Deanery
Benefice
St John the Evangelist
Vicar(s)
Reader(s)
Director of music
Churchwarden(s)
Church of England
minster church

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