Mark: Church History and Moorland

Mark offers two distinct points of interest for a stay: the town’s architectural and commemorative history, and a walk that starts in Mark. Holy Cross reveals several centuries of church history; the Mark War Memorial commemorates a specific event. If you would rather focus on the landscape, Mark Moor offers a scene shaped by straight lines of droves, rhynes and ditches. You can therefore plan your trip around the subjects that interest you most in Mark.

Holy Cross and historic memorials

Holy Cross church was consecrated in April 1268 as “The Church of the Holy Cross”. Its oldest surviving part is the Lady Chapel on the south side; it probably also dates from 1268. The comparison is revealing: the consecration is dated to a specific month, while the dating of the oldest surviving part remains probable.

Building work continued with extensions in the 14th and 15th centuries; the tower and north porch were added in the late 15th century. The chancel contains four oak figures of the Evangelists, each carved from a single piece of wood in 1524. They were made by the Belgian sculptor André and originally came from Bruges Cathedral.

The former market cross stands in the churchyard in Mark. It probably dates from the 15th century. Its dating adds another point of reference to the history of Holy Cross, but unlike the consecration in April 1268, it is not assigned to a specific month. The timeline runs from the 13th-century consecration, through extensions in the 14th and 15th centuries, to the figures of 1524; it makes the development of Holy Cross over several centuries easy to follow.

The Mark War Memorial

The Mark War Memorial provides a different point of focus. It consists of a stone cross with a tapering shaft on a two-tier octagonal base. A sword is depicted in relief on the upper half of the cross; the inscription commemorates those who fell in the First World War from 1914 to 1918. Unlike the sequence of building work at Holy Cross, the inscription explicitly refers to an act of remembrance. The form and dedication complement one another: the base, shaft and relief shape the design, while the inscription identifies the historical reference.

Moorland landscape and circular walk

Mark Moor is characterised by straight lines formed by droves, rhynes and ditches. The “Mark's Ditches & Droves” circular walk starts in Mark; Brent Knoll provides a constant backdrop along the route. For planning purposes, the starting point and the backdrop are two different reference points: Mark is the starting place, while Brent Knoll accompanies the route. The Avalon Marshes heritage routes were mapped more than ten years ago and are no longer checked by the organisation. Check the current route before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Nunney, Hatch Beauchamp, Litton, Exford, Chard, Buckland Dinham, Chiselborough, Lympsham

For the regional travel overview: Somerset.