Church of St Mary the Virgin, Nettlecombe

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in Nettlecombe, a village in Somerset’s rolling countryside. Built of red sandstone, it dates from the 13th and 14th centuries with a major dedication in 1440. The church sits inside the grounds of Nettlecombe Court, a former country manor turned girls’ boarding school and now the Leonard Wills Field Centre. Beyond the church walls lies Nettlecombe Park, a 90.4-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest within Exmoor National Park. The park and house occupy a quiet valley on the northern slopes of the Brendon Hills. The building shows careful craftsmanship from different eras. Richard Carver led restorations around 1820, while Charles Edmund Giles oversaw further work between 1858 and 1870. Inside, the nave has a clerestory and aisles, and the chancel contains a north chapel and south organ chamber. A seven-sided font stands at the centre, each face carved with the sacraments and Christ in Glory. The church belongs to the Quantock Towers benefice within the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Visitors find a calm place of worship surrounded by nature. The church’s tower rises above the aisles, and the porch opens onto the nave. Carved stonework catches the light in the chancel, and the font invites closer inspection. Outside, the park’s woodlands and meadows stretch beyond the manor walls. The valley remains secluded, offering quiet walks among ancient trees and open grassland.