Shepton Beauchamp

The second part was added to honour the Beauchamp family (pronounced ‘Beecham’), who held the manor from the mid 12th century.

The Church of St Michael, is built of local hamstone, and has 13th-century origins, although it has been extensively changed since then, with major renovation in 1865 by George Edmund Street.

It has a tall three-stage tower with set-back buttresses ascending to the shafts of former pinnacles, set off with an embattled parapet and gargoyles.

There are two-light traceried bell-chamber windows with stone grilles, continuing as blank openings on the ringing chamber below.

There are clocks with Roman numerals to the west and south faces and a higher polygonal stair-turret to the north corner.