Lying in the narrow valley of the river Brue (hence the place-name), the ancient town of Bruton is 12 miles SW of Frome. It occupies a strategic position only 4.5 miles W of the W-facing Greensand scarp along which runs the border with Wiltshire. The main A359 road running NE-SW through the town, nowadays much less important than formerly, connects Frome and the Midlands beyond with Yeovil and the English Channel coast beyond. At Bruton, the river Brue runs through limestone (Inferior Oolite) before making a narrow cutting through Midford Sands (Upper Lias). The church of St Mary and much of the town rest on Inferior Oolite limestone. The church, slightly elevated above the L bank of the river, is within a stone’s throw of it at an altitude of about 60m above OD. The building dates to c1350 and later with a chancel by Nathaniel Ireson of Wincanton, 1743. It contains some Romanesque sculpture fragments.

DB records two estates in 1066 called Bruton. The land held by Edward the Confessor and called Bruton was by far the larger and included a settlement with burgesses. The second estate was held in 1066 by Godwin and in 1086 by Erneis of Roger de Courcelles. Grants made to Bruton priory by William de Mohun (II) (cr. earl of Somerset 1141) suggest that the royal estate had probably been dispersed by Henry I. The Mohuns’ tenure was short lived, for after further grants to the priory by William de Mohun (III) (d. 1176) the family and their successors the Luttrells remained only nominal lords and patrons of the priory.

In the late 7thc two churches are recorded in Bruton. The larger believed to have been founded by St. Aldhelm (d. 709) and the other dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The larger church probably became the conventual church of the priory (later abbey) of Augustinian canons founded in 1142 by William de Mohun (II), earl of Somerset (d. c. 1155). The other church was granted with its land, tithes, and customs, to the new priory by its founder, and before 1166 it was impropriated on condition that the canons took over the pastoral care of the parish. (VCH)

The fragments provide the sole visible remnants of an earlier Romanesque church in Bruton. The fine detail of the font suggests that a good level of patronage was available at the time of its commission. See also CRSBI entry for Bruton Museum.