In 1823 the rebuilt church looked very different from the church we use today. The nave had eighteen rows of high box pews, the front four in a crescent shape with a pulpit in the centre at the chancel steps. On either side were benches for the servants and cottagers, men to the south, women to the north. Above was a ceiling, the height of which is unknown. A gallery stood at the west end - the present arch was not there - and a small door provided access to the Vestry Room at the base of the tower. The windows had metal frames, much as those in the present ringing chamber. The ringing chamber then was on the first floor of the tower and the Vestry Room at the base was where parish business was conducted.

The chancel was not part of the rebuild of 1823 but was almost entirely rebuilt by the Rev Douglas Hodgson and his friends in 1850. The chancel and nave “are considerably out of line”, it was said. The chancel was rebuilt around the Goddard Memorial in the north-east corner. A new scheme of seats was provided at the same time and the Rector built a new pulpit and reading desk in the position where it is in today. The new seating arrangements were probably required on completion of the new church at Woolton Hill in 1850.

The church was altered and restored in 1887. It was said that the walls were in a ruinous state. The box pews, gallery and ceiling were removed and the freshly exposed beams clad - producing the fine roof that is in place today. The metal frames in the windows were replaced with the present Bath stone. The fine arch at the West End was built. The vestry on the north side of the chancel and the organ were installed. The porch was built as a memorial to the Rev Douglas Hodgson who had been Rector of the parish for 59 years. He died in 1884 aged 88.

The majority of the stained glass windows were erected as memorials to men and women of the parish who gave their lives in the two world wars. One is known as the Carden window and another the Sandbach window, dedicated to members of the then prominent families in the area. There are a number of memorials to individuals in the north-east corner of the nave. There is also a beautiful iron chest with a marvellous and intricate lock, said to be an exact replica of a chest taken from a ship of the Spanish Armada. The east window is also a memorial to residents of the parish and their names are included in the window. The window opposite the main door was placed there in 1912 and dedicated to Bishop Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Rector of the parish from 1669 to 1672. There are also two small pictures, one of the original church and the other of the old parsonage pulled down in 1828 and replaced by the current building opposite the church.

The large oil painting above these pictures is of the royal arms of King George IV (1820-1830) who was on the English throne when the church was rebuilt in 1823. The painting probably dates from the previous reign of George III. The escutcheon of Hanover is ensigned with the electoral bonnet. This ceased to be displayed after 1816 when Hanover became a kingdom and a royal crown took its place. The initials of George III must have been altered to George IV. There are many interesting plaques and memorials around the church, too numerous to include here.

The marble memorial in the north-east corner of the chancel was erected in memory of members of the Goddard family. The fine stonework at the rear of the Altar was restored in 1989 as a memorial to Jim Webb, a verger and subsequently churchwarden for many years, and a member of the Webb family.

Details of the clock are here. Details of the bells are here.

The chandeliers were given by Mark Millard when he was a churchwarden in the 1980s.

As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations a special history booklet was produced. To order a copy (price £10) please go to this page. You can collect from the church or if you leave us your postal address via our contact page we’ll arrange delivery to you; please add an extra £2 to cover postage.