The recent heavy rainfall has turned villages in the Somerset Levels into islands, with flooded rivers threatening homes and livelihoods. At the heart of these close-knit communities, the Anglican church at Muchelney has become a focal point for practical and spiritual relief, as its vicar explains Until recently, you had probably never heard of Muchelney – it’s a village of around 180 inhabitants on the Somerset Levels, situated a mile from Langport, between Taunton and Yeovil. Lately, however, Muchelney has rarely been out of the news, as it has become an island, surrounded by flood water, with access only by boat or, when the floods are not too high, by large tractor and trailer. In fact, there are three islands, Muchelney, Muchelney South and Thorney, and residents now re