Description

ST7022 ABBAS AND TEMPLECOMBE CP CHURCH HILL (East side)
TEMPLECOMBE

9/1 Church of St. Mary

24.3.61

GV II*

Parish Church. C12 and later, mostly rebuilt in C19. Local stone cut and squared with Ham stone ashlar dressings;
plain clay tile roofs between stepped coped gables with finials. 6-cell plan, with 2-bay chancel, 4-bay nave, South
transept, South tower incorporating porch, 4-bay North aisle and North East corner vestry. Chancel rebuilt c1874, has
plinth, angled corner buttresses; 5-light late C14 style traceried pointed arched East window with head stop label,
with smaller 2-light C15 style traceried window with similar label in South wall. South transept probably also rebuilt
in 1874; angled corner buttress, with 3-light flat headed traceried window in East wall, and late C14 style
geometric-curvilinear traceried 3-light window in South wall, both with head stop labels, with short buttress under
South window. Nave has one 3-light flat headed traceried window in South wall, with buttresses alongside; in South
wall a moulded 4-centre arched doorway with square label and square stops, plain spandrils and above a late C14 pattern
3-light traceried window. North aisle, added in 1834, has a 3-light traceried window under elliptical arch in recess,
with label and headstop, in West wall; North wall has four 3-light flat headed C19 traceried windows in recesses, with
square stop labels. Vestry added in 1893; chevet plan with hipped roof at East end, totally C19 in detail. Tower of 2
stages, C12 in character, with diagonal offset corner buttresses to stage 1, rough plinth, string courses with corner
gargoyles to upper string, and battlemented parapets, central timber lead roofed turret; lower stage has, on South
side, plain pointed arch to simple doors set in deep recess, and above a small cusped lancet without label; above in
stage 2 a clockface and a 2-light pointed arched window, probably C19; in East side a 2-light flat headed window, and
on West and North sides are 2-light C15 style windows without labels - all of these fitted with wood baffles. Inside,
the porch has a tall inner arch of late C12/early C13. Chancel has late C19 elliptical board and rib barrel vault; an
elliptical arch to the organ chamber and a C12 style chancel arch, both probably rebuilt; communion rail has
barley-sugar twist balusters, probably tiff; retaining furniture C19, except the oak reredos, which is 1926. Nave has
old waggon roof of curved ribs with boards over, probably C16, as probably is the elliptical arch into the South
transept, which has a trefoil arched piscina; in the South west corner of nave sore oak pews, possibly Lib, and nearby
a C12 font - lead lined square bowl with arcaded sides on circular shaft with 4 snail corner shafts, on a square base;
font cover of 1897; also in this corner a painting of Christ's head, on boards, which could be C13 and thought to be
connected with the Knights Templar, who held the manor; it was found hidden in the roof of a village outhouse in 1951.
lfl,I. Clarke - Irons, A Short Record of Abbas and Templecombe, 1974).

Listing NGR: ST7085922669

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary, Abbas and Templecombe at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q16707722

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.

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