Church of St Giles, Leigh-on-Mendip

The Church of St Giles stands in Leigh-on-Mendip, a village in Somerset. The present building dates from about 1350, with a major rebuild around 1500. It is a Grade I listed building, recognised for its historical importance. The church has an unusual clock without a face on the tower. The tower itself is 28.55 metres tall and was built around 1464.

The tower holds six bells, five of which were cast in the 1750s. A scratch sundial is carved into one of the buttresses near the tower’s base. Inside the church, a stone statue of St Catherine sits on the sill of the southeast window. The statue may be from the 12th century and was discovered in 1898. It is believed to have been moved from a chapel in nearby Mells.

Visitors find a quiet village church with medieval origins and later additions. The tower dominates the skyline and the bells still ring today. The statue of St Catherine adds an ancient touch to the building. The church belongs to the benefice of Leigh-on-Mendip with Stoke St Michael. It sits within the Frome deanery of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.