Description

ST1629 BISHOP'S LYDEARD CP CHURCH STREET (West side)

10/15 Church of St Mary

25.2.55

GV I

Parish Church. Some late C14 work, mainly late C15, chancel and North aisle rebuilt, latter extended one bay and vestry
added 1860-62 by Jeboult of Taunton. Coursed and squared Lydeard red sandstone, random rubble chancel, Ham stone
dressings, moulded plinth, slate roofs with coped verges, nave decorative ridge tiles, C19 patterned slate roof on
chancel. Four bay nave, transepts, chancel, 4 bay North and South aisles, South porch, West tower. The church is noted
for its fine tower with pierced tracery battlements, pinnacles, set back buttresses terminating in pinnacles at the
bell-storey, pinnacles also on the buttresses at each stage. Two 3-light double tier bell openings with Somerset
tracery and corbelled pinnacles on all faces, third stage single 2-light window with Somerset tracery, small window
below at second stage, 5-light two tier window above West door, 4 centred arched opening with square surround and
decorative spandrels - C19 renewed in Ham stone. Stair turret in North-east corner. All windows 3-light perpendicular.
North aisle crenellated with gable incorporated at West end but rising behind crenellated parapet at East end,
gargoyles and rood stair turret. North aisle without crenellations mid C19. South porch crenellated to East but filled
out to form parapet at West end, pediment over entrance that contains remains of scratch clock. Perpendicular piers
flanking moulding arched entrance, wagon roof and 4 centred arched doorway with C15 door with strap hinges transversing
the width of the door. Interior: standard Perpendicular arcades, lower on North aisle, perhaps late C14 while taller
South aisle contemporary with tower circa 1470, C15 wagon roof South aisle; exposed ribs and trusses of C15 wagon roof
nave, ceiled above rood screen, painted and gilded; C19 scissor truss roof with arch braces on corbels in North aisle,
ceiled wagon roof chancel C19. Painted baldacchino and painted decoration on jambs of chancel window, Ninian Comper,
1925. Fine early C16 rood screen with fan vaulting and tracery arcades, C19 painting and gilding, rood cross above by
Comper l948. Jacobean pulpit on mid C19 stone stand. C15 octagonal font, restored mid Cl9 late C15 - early C16 bench
ends. Collection of C18 wall tablets. Brass Nicholas Grebham, died 1598, Eleanor his wife, with their family. A fine
tower and good collection of fittings. (SANHS Vols 44 and 54, 1898 and 1908; Lloyd Hughes Owens, The Church of St Mary
the Virgin Bishops Lydeard, not dated; photographs in NMR).

Listing NGR: ST1679429762

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary, Bishops Lydeard at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117502

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)