Church of St John the Evangelist, Milborne Port

The Church of St John the Evangelist stands in Milborne Port, Somerset, on ground once occupied by a large Anglo-Saxon minster. Its cruciform plan and surviving parts date from the late Anglo-Saxon period, with elements likely added after the Norman Conquest. The central tower and chancel remain from this early era, marking it as a Grade I listed building. The church’s history reflects shifting power and patronage. It was rebuilt in a mixed Saxon-Norman style by Chancellor Regimbald, later held by Cirencester Abbey, and then passed through the hands of Winchester College and the Marquess of Anglesey. The Medlycott family left memorials in the north transept, and the tower contains eight bells, three cast in 1736 by Thomas Bilbie. Inside, the crossing arches show the church’s Saxon origins, though some were reshaped in the 14th century. The nave was rebuilt in the 19th century by Henry Hall, extending it by nine metres. The chancel retains Anglo-Saxon pilaster strip work and thick walls, while stained glass by Bainbridge Reynolds and plaster medallions by Sir Walter Tapper add later touches. The crossing tower, wider than the nave, is a distinctive Saxon feature shared with nearby Sherborne Abbey.