Compton Dando

The church dedicated the Blessed Virgin Mary dates from the 14th century but has been restored over the centuries.  There is a date of 1735 on the exterior wall of the chancel, 1739 on the southern porch, the font and pulpit date from 1833, the exterior wall of the eastern side has ‘1905AD’. The lych gate dates from 1915.

On the tower, one stone has a carving of a Tudor rose. The tower also has a carving of a ‘daisy wheel’; such carvings are believed to have been placed on houses and churches to avert evil. There is also a daisy wheel made up of inscribed overlapping circles on the outside wall of the chancel on the eastern side. No scratch dial has been found, any such would probably have disappeared when the porch was added as they tend to be found by the southern door. There is however, the remains of a sundial (without its gnomon), west of the porch. A stone buttress of the tower - a figure of Hercules with his club on the east face and Apollo with his lyre - was found to be part of the altar of the Roman temple at Bath and was restored to its original position. (Two other corners have been found, one depicting Hercules and Jupiter and another with the figure of Bacchus.)

The parish is part of the benefice of Publow with Pensford, Compton Dando and Chelwood within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.