Church of St George, Bicknoller

The Church of St George stands in the small village of Bicknoller, Somerset, on land that has been used for worship since the 12th century. A thousand-year-old yew tree towers over the churchyard, its gnarled trunk framing the building’s west front. Inside, carved angels gaze down from the roof while strange animal heads peer from the walls, reminders of medieval craftsmanship. The church was largely rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries, yet one pillar piscina still dates from the original Norman structure. A brass plaque marks the resting place of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, who holidayed in the village between 1933 and 1944. The organ, built in 1922 by the Positive Organ Company, fills the nave with sound from its carved oak case. Five bells hang in the tower, one salvaged from St Saviour’s in Larkhall, Bath, and plans were made in 2012 to add a sixth. In May 2026 the church dedicated new doors to Harold Gimblett, a local cricketer, whose handles take the shape of cricket bats. The parish belongs to the Quantock Towers benefice within the Taunton archdeaconry, linking it to a wider rural network. Visitors step into a quiet space where centuries of devotion remain visible. The ancient yew shelters the porch, its branches casting shifting shadows across the stone. Inside, the 12th-century piscina stands beside later memorials, each telling a different story. The organ’s pipes rise behind the choir stalls, their oak case polished by generations of fingers. From the tower doorway the Quantock Hills roll away to the north, their slopes dotted with farms and woodland. The cricket-bat handles on the doors add a touch of local pride, linking faith with village life.