Christon
St Mary the Virgin, Christon
To find Church use the postcode BS26 2XX for Sat Nav or Grid reference 379 574
Outside
This is a small Norman Church built about AD 1170 although there is reason to believe that the eastern end containing the altar is of Anglo-Saxon origin as there is “herringbone” masonry to be seen In the outer walls. This would date from about AD 1050. The late Norman arched door-opening is ornamented with zig-zags. The porch and its stone seats are believed to be a late medieval addition and the door and ironwork date from 1875.Inside
The nave is C15th with a Pre-Reformation (1536) wagon roof with bosses at the centre of each rib. . The font is Norman (AD1100-1135) There are Norman features of the West and East arches under the tower and above all, the plain heavy rounded groins in the vaulting which rest on strange grotesque dragon-heads. In the South wall there is a small window of medieval Somerset glass.
There are two bells, one of which is dated AD 1638 and the other is considerably earlier and bears the inscription ING (?) NAZARENVS REX IUDEORUM
