Parts of the church building date back to the 14^th century.  Until the 19th century, Burnham was a large parish but with few inhabitants and was never wealthy.  It is worth contemplating what a huge and impressive undertaking the church’s construction must have been.  The structure you see today was constructed over centuries, and the additions and changes reflect the beliefs, aspirations and requirements of the parish and its people.

The tower’s construction will undoubtedly have been the most challenging and impressive addition.  Can you imagine the horror experienced by its builders when it began to lean? This is thought to have happened soon after construction.

Unlike parishes to the north, around Brent Knoll, Burnham was never within the large and wealthy estate of Glastonbury Abbey.  Externally there is only some decorative stonework chiselled by local masons possibly from a team at Wells.

Our church’s most outstanding stonework is inside.  Here, alongside the work of local masons,  is the work of a man considered to be one of the finest carvers and sculptors ever to work in Britain.  In various locations within the building are the remains of an altarpiece made by Grinling Gibbons and his associate Arnold Quellin. Originally built for a new Roman Catholic chapel commissioned by King James II, its survival and journey to Burnham is an extraordinary story.