Please note: this photograph was taken by me and may not be reproduced elsewhere or uploaded to other websites without permission.
The
tower of St Mary Magdalene,
the Parish Church of Chewton Mendip, is
rightfully
regarded as one
of the finest in the country. It replaced the original smaller
14th
century tower and was
built in the Perpendicular style. Work began in 1440 and
it
was completed in about
1540. The tower rises 126 feet, with the pinnacles adding
a
further 15 feet, and is
the fourth highest on a church in Somerset after Taunton's
St
Mary Magdalene, Glastonbury's
St John and St Cuthbert in Wells. The tower
and
the interior fan vault
stand as testimony to the prosperity that the sheep,
cloth
and wool trades brought
to the community.