Ruishton Church
When, on the eve of the Reformation, the builders left unfinished a fine west Lower for St.George’s Church, the origins of Christian worship in Ruishton were lost already in the distant past. It is likely that the spread of the Gospel to the communities of the vale had begun as early as the 8th century with the foundation in Taunton of a Saxon minster church; likely as well that its missionary priests had come to Ruishton long before the Conquest to establish here a chapel or preaching-place. The site they chose was probably that on which the present church stands, overlooking the rush-grown river lands that had given the village its name.
The Benefice of Creech St. Michael, Ruishton and Thornfalcon Parish Churches
Thornfalcon Church
There was a Church on this site by the second half of the 13th Century; the font certainly belongs to that period and the first Rector known Simon de Insula, was appointed during November 1265 Most of the datable parts of the present building are the result of extensive alterations from the late 14th Century onwards, but the walls of the nave and the chancel may well contain some of the earlier work.
The alterations of the 14th century onwards include the windows of the nave and chance the latest being those to light the former rood loft over the screen. The window over the pulpit still contains a fragment of its original glass he chancel may well have been rebuilt entirely during this period for the arch is wide and high, well in the fashion when people were wanting to let in more light and to form a suitable background for the rood the figure of Christ on the cross with the accompanying figures of Mary and John which stood on the rood loft.
There may have been a plan, perhaps in the early 16th century, to rebuild the porch in Lie grand style with a room above it. This would account for the presence of the small doorway just west of the south door, originally designed as the entrance to the stairs.