Church of St Mary, Yatton

The Church of St Mary stands in the centre of Yatton, Somerset, a town where its size and grandeur earned it the name ‘Cathedral of the Moors’. A Grade I listed building, it was mostly built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier church. The tower, completed around 1400, has three stages with weathered buttresses and crocketed pinnacles. A hexagonal stair turret rises above the parapet, its panelled sides leading to an open cusped parapet. In 1455–56 a Dundry stone steeple was added, later shortened in 1595 by freemasons. The church’s bells have rung since the tower was finished, though a fire in 1991 damaged the structure and required one bell to be recast. The Old Rectory beside the church is also Grade I listed, built in the 15th century. English Heritage recognises the site for its historic importance and architectural detail. The chapel added in 1496 and later expansions survive from the 15th century. Inside, visitors find a ring of bells still in use and a tower that shows both medieval craftsmanship and later repairs. The stair turret’s panelled sides and cusped parapet add to the building’s character. The Old Rectory stands as a reminder of the church’s long history. The surrounding town of Yatton provides a quiet setting for this grand landmark.