St George'S Roman Catholic Church, Taunton

The Church of St George is a Roman Catholic church in Taunton, Somerset, which dates from the mid-19th century. It was the second Catholic church to be built in Taunton after the Reformation, replacing the much smaller St George's Chapel. The main church building is designated by Historic England as a listed building, while the rectory is listed. The Catholic community in Taunton grew throughout the 19th century, and within 40 years of the completion of St George's Chapel, it was considered too small. The Church of St George was built on land donated by the town's Franciscan Convent, with funding raised by the rector, Rev John Mitchell. It was opened in 1860, although building work continued over the following decades, and a rectory and school were both added to the site. The church was not consecrated until 1912. St George's was built during the Gothic Revival, and bears resemblance to the Somerset towers. It currently serves as one of two Catholic churches in Taunton, along with the Church of St Teresa's. HistoryAfter the Reformation in the 16th century, Catholicism all but died in Taunton; an 1824 publication, The Protestant's Companion, noted that prior to the 19th century, "there were no Papists in Taunton". This was a slight exaggeration; in 1787 a Mission Rector was sent to Taunton, and four years later, when Catholic chapels were legalised, he registered a chapel in a house on Canon Street. A permanent church, St George's Chapel, was built around thirty years later, by which time it was estimated that there were around 120 Catholics in the town. The chapel could seat 200 people, and by the 1850s, the Catholic population of Taunton had swelled to an extent that the chapel was no longer big enough for them.

The Church of St George is a Roman Catholic church in Taunton, Somerset, which dates from the mid-19th century. It was the second Catholic church to be built in Taunton after the Reformation, replacing the much smaller St George's Chapel. The main church building is designated by Historic England as a listed building, while the rectory is listed. The Catholic community in Taunton grew throughout the 19th century, and within 40 years of the completion of St George's Chapel, it was considered too small. The Church of St George was built on land donated by the town's Franciscan Convent, with funding raised by the rector, Rev John Mitchell. It was opened in 1860, although building work continued over the following decades, and a rectory and school were both added to the site. The church was not consecrated until 1912. St George's was built during the Gothic Revival, and bears resemblance to the Somerset towers. It currently serves as one of two Catholic churches in Taunton, along with the Church of St Teresa's. HistoryAfter the Reformation in the 16th century, Catholicism all but died in Taunton; an 1824 publication, The Protestant's Companion, noted that prior to the 19th century, "there were no Papists in Taunton". This was a slight exaggeration; in 1787 a Mission Rector was sent to Taunton, and four years later, when Catholic chapels were legalised, he registered a chapel in a house on Canon Street. A permanent church, St George's Chapel, was built around thirty years later, by which time it was estimated that there were around 120 Catholics in the town. The chapel could seat 200 people, and by the 1850s, the Catholic population of Taunton had swelled to an extent that the chapel was no longer big enough for them.