Church of St Michael, Dundry

St Michael’s stands on a hilltop in Dundry, Somerset, its 1484 tower rising 30 metres above the village. The rest of the church dates from 1861, when G.B. Gabriel rebuilt it after the medieval structure was removed. The four-stage tower has buttresses and four corner turrets, with the oldest bell cast in 1642. Inside, the nave, chancel and chapel are covered by slate roofs, and the church contains six bells in total. The tower once served as a landmark visible from many parts of Avon. The church has played a role in local life for centuries. In 1977 it joined a benefice with St Andrew’s, Chew Magna, and in 2000 Holy Trinity, Norton Malreward, was added. Safety concerns closed the building in 2015 after falling plaster threatened the ceiling. Repairs cost £225,000 and were funded by grants including money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The church reopened in September 2018 after extensive renovation work. Outside, the churchyard holds a 1.5-metre cube of stone known as the dole table, used to give alms to the poor. A 3-metre-high cross stands on an octagonal base, its head installed in the 19th century to match an earlier design. Chest tombs in the churchyard include those of the Dowling and Holbrook families, thought to date from the mid-18th century. The cross itself is scheduled as an ancient monument.