▁other ▁surv iving ▁buildings ▁from ▁this ▁period . ▁Several ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁under w ent ▁development ▁during ▁the ▁Stuart ▁period , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁visitors ▁to ▁the ▁sp a ▁and ▁resort ▁town ▁who ▁required ▁accommod ation . ▁The ▁St ▁Thomas ▁à ▁Be cket ▁Church ▁was ▁built ▁between ▁ 1 4 9 0 ▁and ▁ 1 4 9 8 ▁by ▁John ▁Cant low , ▁Prior ▁of ▁Bath ▁Ab bey ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁an ▁older ▁Norman ▁church . ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁commonly ▁called ▁Old ▁W id com be ▁Church ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁principal ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁par ishes ▁of ▁W id com be ▁and ▁Lyn com be . ▁The ▁Dom es day ▁survey ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 6 ▁shows ▁a ▁small ▁settlement ▁around ▁the ▁church ▁although ▁no ▁trace ▁of ▁it ▁remains . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁church , ▁St ▁Matt he ws , ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁W id com be ▁parish . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁April ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁church ▁b ells , ▁which ▁had ▁for ▁centuries ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁tower ▁of ▁St . ▁Thomas ▁à ▁Be cket , ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁removed ▁and ▁installed ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁St . ▁Matthew ' s . ▁W id com be ▁Man or ▁was ▁originally ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁and ▁then ▁re built ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁for ▁Philip ▁Ben net ▁the ▁local ▁MP . ▁Thomas ▁Gu id ott