Church of St Mary, Oare explained

Church of St Mary
Coordinates:51.2124°N -3.7164°W
Location:Oare, Somerset, England
Built:15th century
Designation1:Grade II* listed building
Designation1 Offname:Church of St Mary
Designation1 Date:22 May 1969
Designation1 Number:1345381

The Anglican Church of St Mary in Oare, Somerset, England, was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.

History

The nave and inner chancel survive from a 15th-century building, but the outer chancel and tower were rebuilt in the 19th century.

The parish and benefice of Oare with Culbone is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[1]

The church was used as the location of a marriage in the novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore, whose grandfather had been the rector of the church[2] between 1809 and 1842.[3]

Architecture

The stone building has slate roofs. It consists of a three-bay nave, with an inner and outer chancel, each of one bay. The three-stage is unbuttressed.

Inside the church are 18th century box pews and a Norman font on an 18th-century base. There is also a 15th-century piscina with a "grotesque head",[4] said to represent St Decuman.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oare Church, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Oare. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20121106135226/http://www.achurchnearyou.com/oare-the-blessed-virgin-mary/ . 6 November 2012 . 17 September 2017. A Church Near You. Church of England.
  2. Web site: Oare Church and the Doone Valley. Visit Exmoor. 17 September 2017.
  3. Book: Allen. N. V.. Churches and Chapels of Exmoor. 1974. Exmoor Press. 978-0900131165. 70-72.
  4. Web site: MSO7737 - St Mary's Church and Churchyard, Oare. Exmoor Historic Environment Record. Exmoor National Park. 17 September 2017.