Description

ST62NW
4/141

SOUTH CADBURY CP
SHERBORNE ROAD (West side)

Church of St Thomas a Becket
(formerly listed as Church of St Thomas of Canterbury)

24.3.61

GV
II*

Anglican parish church. C13 and C15, restored in 1850's and 1870's. Cary and lias stone, mostly ashlar, with some
Doulting stone dressings; plain clay tile roof over stone slate base courses to chancel, Welsh slate over stone to
nave, both between stepped coped gables. Three-cell plan of 2-bay chancel and 3-bay nave and south aisle, with north
porch, south-east vestry and west tower. Chancel has double plinth mould, eaves course, no buttresses: east window of
3-lights, C19 in C15 style with headtop label; on north side two 2-cusped lights under square labels, probably C15;
south-east corner vestry has no plinth but extended string/label course, and latching 2-light windows to those of
chancel north side, one reduced in size, and probably reused from chancel south wall; in south-east corner a painted
arched doorway in rectangular hollow-chamfered recess. South aisle has plinth, eaves course; two C15 3-light traceried
windows of different patterns under arched square stop labels. Nave has a 2-light and a 3-light flat arched window set
in hollow chamfered reveals, with projection for pulpit recess which is under a stone roof and has a small window.
North porch has double plinth, north gable with cross finial, small east winnow; elliptical arched outer doorway in
rectangular recess with foliated and Tudor-rose spandrils, with small ogee cusped light over: similar inner door with
plain statue niche over. Tower possibly early C15, and still carried a spire in 1822: stages, with double plinth,
string courses, the top with gargoyles, battleiented parapets with crocketted corner pinnacles, angled corner
buttresses for full height: north-east square corner stair turret carried higher than remainder of tower, with slit
windows each stage: small but wide west door with wave-moulded pointed arch label with headstops; above a 2-light C15
style traceried window, heavily restored, with very slight label mould; elsewhere stages 1 and 2 plains to each face
stage S a 2-light traceried 2-light window in hollow chamfered reveal without label. Interior has work of many periods.
Chancel has 1874 rib and panel barrel vault roof, and east window probably same date; panelled C15 chancel arch,
squints formerly to both sides; furnishings C19, but including reredos sculpture of the crucifixion, by Earp of Lambeth
installed in 1780. Nave has C15 timber rib and plaster panel vault ceiling with bosses and angels; arcade into south
aisle, with 4-shaft columns, basically c1280, the end shafts having turned mouldings; tower arch to match; recess for
C19 pulpit, font also C19. South aisle largely rebuilt 1853, but incorporates a C14 piscina, above which are the
remains of a window jamb with fragment of medieval wall painting of a bishop, possibly Thomas a Becket. Glass in east
window by Clayton and Bell 1874. No significant memorials. First recorded rector 1265. (Anon, South Cadbury, A Brief
Guide with Historical Notes, Undated; Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST6314825494

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Thomas A Becket at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17554510

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

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)