Church of St Mary Magdalene
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH SQUARE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1278073
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jun-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary Magdalene
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH SQUARE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-06-04
- Reference:
- IOE01/06321/15
- Rights:
- © Mr Eddy Allen. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1278073
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jun-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 04-Jul-1975
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary Magdalene
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH SQUARE
- Statutory Address 2:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, MAGDALENE STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH SQUARE
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, MAGDALENE STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Taunton
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 22884 24607
Details
744/9/1 CHURCH SQUARE
04-JUN-52 (East side)
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE
MAGDALENE STREET
(North side)
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE
GV I
The huge west tower closes the view down Hammet Street with which it has extremely important group value. The church is mostly late C15, much restored. Aisled chancel, partly with clerestorey, 6 bay nave with 4 aisles and clerestorey. Fine vaulted south porch of 1508 with niches over entrance, The west tower (over 160 ft high) is the finest in Somerset, It is dated by wills to 1488-1514, but was entirely rebuilt 1858-62 (in replica) by Sir G G Scott and B Ferrey. The tower has 3 storeys above the great west window with paired openings, set-back buttresses, pinnacles, string courses etc. The tower is crowned by openwork battlements with tall openwork corner pinnacles. The low nave has an outstanding tie-beam roof with carved angels, bosses and peterae recently regilded. Tabernacled niches with Victorian statuary between the clerestorey windows, Large image niche in north arcade. Fanvault under tower, Because of repeated restorations there are few old furnishings.
Monument to Robert Gray, died in 1635, with standing figure in north aisle. Large freestone slab from the tomb of Thomas More, died 1576, in inner south aisle, fragments of medieval glass in clerestorey.
All the listed buildings in Church Square together with the Church of St Mary Magdalene and the listed buildings in Hammet Street form an extremely
important group.
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Listing NGR: ST2288124616
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 269663
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 11:14:30.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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