Church of St Matthew, Wookey

The Church of St Matthew stands in the Somerset village of Wookey, beside the River Axe. Built in the twelfth century, it is a Grade I listed building with a tower that dates from the fifteenth century. The tower once held five bells until a sixth was added in 1949. In 1906 lightning struck the tower, leaving its mark. A major restoration in the nineteenth century gave the church a new roof while keeping its original fifteenth-century beams. The church has strong links to the bishops of Wells. Bishop Robert granted it to the dean of Wells, and Bishop Reginald rebuilt parts of it. By 1209 it was assigned to the sub dean of the cathedral. The south chancel was added in 1556 to house the memorial to Thomas Clerke. Beside the church stands Mellifont Abbey, a nineteenth-century building named after an Irish abbey. Inside, behind the organ in the tower, there is a monument to Sir Jacob Wolff, 1st Baronet and Baron of the Holy Roman Empire. He and his wife once lived in Mellifont Abbey, which is now a care home. The parish belongs to the benefice of Coxley with Godney, Henton and Wookey within the Shepton Mallet deanery.