St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton

St Michael and All Angels Church is built with a tunnel-vaulted nave decorated with ornamental plasterwork, classical arcades, and four small saucer domes throughout the interior. The structure displays Georgian architectural principles combined with refined decorative craftsmanship.

The church was built in 1785 by architect Charles Evans as a replacement for an earlier medieval structure on the same location. Its design followed the style of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, representing late Georgian church architecture.

The church contains sculptures by Grinling Gibbons and John Michael Rysbrack, including a figure of the first Duke of Beaufort dressed in ceremonial robes. These pieces reflect the building's role as a private chapel for the local aristocratic family.

Entry to the building is available during scheduled church services coordinated through the Badminton Benefice website, as well as by special arrangement and during Badminton House tour events. It is best to contact ahead to confirm access and current visiting conditions.

The building served as the burial place of the Somerset family for generations, with dukes and duchesses interred in a vault beneath the structure until 1910. This connection to the local aristocratic dynasty made it a family monument spanning centuries of the estate's history.

Location: Badminton

Inception: 1785

GPS coordinates: 51.54430,-2.28000

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:09