St Mary's Church

Generations of Thorncombe folk have worshipped Almighty God and known His joy and peace. You may like to visit and enjoy the stillness and beauty of this holy place, spending a little time in prayer and reflection. You may wish to learn more about the Church and Parish of Thorncombe by walking round the Church -- the centre of the Parish. Enjoy this Parish Church and feel at home in it.

The original Church at Thorncombe was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Bishop Brewster of Exeter in 1239 A.D. The building of the Church, as well as nearby Forde Abbey (founded in 1136), was superintended by Cistercian monks from Waverley, Surrey. Abbot Chard, alias Tyblis, the last Abbot, was Suffragan Bishop to the Bishop of Exeter from 1508 and was appointed Vicar or Thorncombe in 1529, 10 years before he left Forde Abbey at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The Rev. John Bragge was Vicar of Thorncombe from 1644 - 1647, when he was deprived of his Living, probably because he was involved in a Royalist plot against Cromwell, and was transported to Barbados. The old Church stood about 50 yards to the south of the present Church, the site being where the Wellingtonia tree now stands.

Until 1843, the Civil Parish of Thorncombe was in Devon, at which time it was transferred to Dorset. At the same time, it was transferred ecclesiastically from the Diocese of Exeter to the Diocese of Salisbury. In 1982, it was transferred to the Diocese of Bath and Wells, at which time it became a 'united benefice' sharing a vicar with the neighbouring(Somerset) parishes of Winsham and Cricket St Thomas. In 1999, the parishes joined with others to form the Chard and District Team Ministry.

The Book of the Axe (1875) says that, in 1770, the Old Church at Thorncombe was not large enough to contain 'the fourth part of the inhabitants'. The present Church was built to seat 400. This suggests that 200 years ago the population was over 1,600. At that time, the village was a centre for the wool trade and had a thriving lace-making industry. The population was 1,308 in 1851 and 1,189 in 1871. The most recent survey gives a population for the Parish of about 650. Despite this fall in the number of people living in the Parish, the sense of community and the general participation of the inhabitants in the life of the Parish is strong.

The present Church, incorporating a numbers of items from the old Church, was built in 1866-1867 at a cost of £4,000. The Foundation Stone was laid on 26th April 1866 by Margaret Bragge, widow of Colonel Bragge of Sadborow, and was dedicated by the Bishop of Salisbury on 15th October 1867. It was built in Perpendicular style, the windows being modeled on those of the cloisters of Forde Abbey.

A wonderful piece of medieval brass workmanship in the Church is a fine memorial brass commemorating Sir Thomas and Lady Brook of Holditch Court. This is one of 500 brass memorials recorded in the Lancastrian period 1400-1453. It was removed from the old church and placed in the new church in 1867. From details of the costumes of the period, it has been accurately dated 1437.

When first hung, the 5 bells in the old church were the heaviest ring of 5 bells in the Diocese of Salisbury, the second heaviest in England and the fourth heaviest in the world. The oldest bell is dated 1613. It is said that the bells were buried in the Churchyard whilst the present Church was being built. In 1962, with the help of the Barron Bell Trust and local inhabitants, the bells were increased to a peal of eight and re-hung.

The Bragge family were the owners of Sadborow Estate (of which most of Thorncombe, including the Church, was part) from 1576 and, as it was the tradition for the elder son to go into the Army and inherit the Estate and for the younger son to go to University and become a Minister. The list of Incumbents (on the wall near the Font) includes several members of the Bragge family. Indeed, starting in 1644, six Bragges held the Living for 131 years out of the next 280 years.

Another Vicar, Samuel Hood (appointed 1751), who married a lady from Beaminster, was the father of two celebrated Admirals - Samuel Viscount Hood and Alexander Viscount Bridport. There are several memorials to this family in the Church of Cricket St. Thomas, a few miles away.