Church of St Dunstan, Baltonsborough

The Church of St Dunstan stands in the quiet Somerset village of Baltonsborough. Built in the 15th century, it is a Grade I listed building with a wide nave and a two-bay chancel. The simple Somerset tower has an ornate iron weather vane made by a local blacksmith in the 19th century. Inside, a 15th-century font remains, and the screen was designed by Frederick Bligh Bond. The churchyard holds war graves from two world wars. It is worth the journey for its links to St Dunstan, born in Baltonsborough in 909. He became Archbishop of Canterbury and a key monastic reformer in the Anglo-Saxon period. Legends say he nailed a horseshoe to the devil, making him the patron saint of blacksmiths. The church also remembers Edward Mellish, a former vicar awarded the Victoria Cross in World War I. The benefice covers four parishes, known as the Brue Benefice. A visitor finds a spacious nave with a leaning north wall and a sturdy tower. The iron weather vane still turns above the rooftops. Inside, the old font and the screen by Frederick Bligh Bond add character. The churchyard has two war graves, one from World War I and one from World War II. The village setting keeps the church calm and unspoilt.