History

St. Andrew's Church was consecrated on 14 July 1881 through the generosity of the Revd. Frederick Jeremiah Smith the first Vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Taunton.  His gift towards building a new parish church was announced in a sermon given at the new St. John's Church on 14 August 1878.  It was made as a gesture of thanksgiving "that the country had been spared the horrors of war" following the Treaty of Berlin between Russia and Turkey. 

St. Andrew's was built to serve the rapidly expanding area of Taunton which served the newly arrived Great Western Railway, and soon became known as "The Railway Parish". 

Outgrowing the original building

When the church was first built it comprised a nave and 2 side aisles and seated 500. 

In 1893 the original south aisle was removed and a new larger south aisle was added, together with the Lady Chapel beyond (the north aisle was retained).  The High Altar was also extended.  The additional 200 - 300 seats were needed to accommodate the rapidly increasing congregation who could no longer be comfortably seated.  The church was re-dedicated in 1893, only 11 years after it first opened.

The Railway Parish  

St. Andrew's was built to serve the rapidly expanding area of Taunton which served the newly arrived Great Western Railway, and soon became known as "The Railway Parish".