| Church of St Mary, Berkley | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Church of St Mary, Berkley | |
| 51°14′37″N2°16′19″W / 51.24361°N 2.27194°W | |
| Location | Berkley, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 11 March 1968 |
| Completed | 1751 |
The Church of St Mary is a Church of England parish church in Berkley, Somerset. It is a Grade II* listed building built in 1751. [1]
The church, dedicated to St Mary, was built in 1751 by Squire Thomas Prowse of the adjacent Berkley House. [1]
The whitewashed stone church has a west tower and a hip roof with stone slates, while the nave has a central glazed cupola. Both this cupola and the organ have been recently[ when? ] restored. [2] [ failed verification ] There are a pair of 17th century panel backed chairs. The font, pulpit and pews date from the mid 19th century. [1]
The walls and gate piers around the church date from the mid 18th century. [3]
The graveyard contains the graves of the local population including some notable tombs. The tomb of William Hall is made of Doulting Stone and dates from 1670. [4] The Bath stone tomb of Joseph Singer is inscribed for several members of the Singer family from the 18th and early 19th centuries. [5] There are also several unidentified tombs. [6] [7] [8]
The parish is part of the benefice of Beckington with Standerwick, Berkley, Lullington, Orchardleigh and Rodden within the archdeanery of Wells. [9]
The church stands in the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England. [9]
There are services every Sunday morning, with a family service on the third Sunday of every month.
The local school was built around 1860, near the church. It is now Berkley CofE First School, with voluntary aided status. [10]