Photo: St John's Glastonbury
Coronation services and celebrations took place right across Bath and Wells this weekend to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
St Paul’s Church in Weston, St Andrew’s Church in Minehead, and Bath Abbey were among the many churches which livestreamed the event and invited their local community to join together in celebration. St Paul's even had their very own giant crown. At St John’s Church in Keynsham the tower was lit up in red, white and blue and an image of the Union Flag was projected on to the west front of the church for the Coronation weekend. Inside a mini–Flower Festival was just one of the celebrations taking place inside the church.
On Sunday Coronation services were held in churches throughout the diocese. At Wells Cathedral the service featured an address given by Jonathan Dimbleby, a journalist, writer, and broadcaster who has known King Charles III for more than thirty years.
At Taunton Minster, they were joined by the High Sheriff Robbie Drewett for the Civic Service and at Bath Abbey the 3.30pm service was a special Coronation Choral Evensong. A Civic Community Service held in Keynsham was attended by almost 200 people. St Mary’s, Limington held a celebratory cream tea on the aptly named Monarch’s Way path. After the cream tea, during which they raised a toast with a commemorative mug, there was a Coronation Praise Service in the church.
Whilst in Glastonbury they did something very different. There was a procession through the High Street to St John’s for the Civic service which featured re-enactment of the first Coronation of King Edgar and St Dunstan, the first Archbishop to crown a King. Dunstan lived in Glastonbury and was crowned at Bath Abbey. The re-enactment was performed by pupils from Wells Cathedral School and was conducted in Medival English and Latin with a translation so everyone could understand what was taking place.
To mark this very historic event, churchbells rang out across Somerset. The first formal peal of the newly cast bells at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, North Curry, the first in the country to be cast with the cypher of His Majesty King Charles III, rang out for three hours to mark the coronation. You can watch the ITV report about the bells. At St Giles’ Church, Thurloxton had one very special ringer among their number, Edwin Quick, a local farmer, had rung the same bells 70 years ago for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
Meanwhile churches in North Petherton joined in a national Ring for the King. 10 ringers including 4 new to bell members rung the bells for an hour from 10-11.
Many schools held their celebrations in the week leading up to the historic event. At St Michaels Church School in Bath there was an opportunity for children to become Monarch for the Day, at St johns’ Infant School in Glastonbury they held a Grand Coronation Parade the pupils joyously waved their flags as they walked down the High Street to the Town Hall. At St Bartholomew's Church of England School in Yeovil for their celebrations a member of staff knitted a replica crown and the Coronation Celebration Service at King's Bruton they used their chaple service to think about meaning behind the many historic parts of the Coronation.
Everywhere, right across the weekend, in the rain and the sunshine, there were teas and picnics, BBQ’s and bring your own, with scones, sandwiches and lots of cake as churches and their communities joined together to mark the occasion. Services were followed by get togethers, and street parties. The Big Picnic Lunch at St George's Parish Centre Wembdon complete with a Coronation cake which was attended by church family and members of the community, was just one of the many wonderful things that took place as part of Somerset’s celebration of our new King.
You can enjoy a selection of the photos on the Bath and Wells Facebook page.