Church of St Augustine, Clutton

The Church of St Augustine stands in the village of Clutton in Somerset. Built around 1290, it was largely rebuilt later and is now a Grade II* listed building. The church honours St Augustine of Hippo, a key figure in early Christianity. Its red sandstone tower, with diagonal buttresses and pinnacles, probably dates from 1726. Inside the tower hang two bells cast in 1734 by Thomas Bilbie, part of the well-known Bilbie family of bell founders. The churchyard contains two railed tomb enclosures belonging to the Broadribb family, both Grade II listed. Nearby are three monuments to the Broadribb and Purnell families. In 1780 John Wesley visited but was refused the pulpit, so he preached from a stone in the churchyard instead. The parish today forms part of the benefice of Farmborough with Marksbury and Stanton Prior, Clutton with Cameley, within the archdeaconry of Bath. Visitors find a quiet country church with a sturdy sandstone tower rising above the village. The interior reflects later rebuilding while keeping its ancient dedication. The Broadribb plot’s wrought-iron railings and the Wesley preaching stone remain visible reminders of the site’s history. The surrounding churchyard offers a peaceful place to walk among weathered headstones. From the tower’s base the gentle Somerset hills stretch out in every direction.