Parish Church Of St Mary

ST 35 NE LOXTON CHRISTON

4/55 Parish Church of St. Mary 9.2.61 G.V. I

Parish church (Anglican). C12, C14, C16, 1875. Rubble, squared quoins slate and clay tile roofs, raised coped verges. Nave, south porch, central tower, chancel. 3 bay nave with heavy weathered buttresses; neo-Norman west window has recessed colonnettes with scallop capitals and outer scallopped corbels which carry a decorated dripmould; similar windows north and south carry no inner order; slate pitched roof to plain gable. Gabled south porch, clay tile roof, arch-head opening and low stone seat around C12 doorway; inner arch has paired chevrons making lozenges on main face and return, then colonnettes with scallop capitals support a frieze of chevrons on 2 faces, all surmounted by drip decorated with greek key. Tower of 2 stages; first, plain has dressed stone at corners, single square lights at ground and belfry and a plain stair turret with one circular light and lean-to roof at north east corner; second stage has plain parapet above string course carried on decorative corbels, mainly grotesque and single lights below. Gabled chancel has some rubble in diagonal courses; neo- norman west window has 2 round headed lights in colonnettes with scallop capitals and small central oculus above in arched recess; restored 2 light north and south windows and south priest's door. Interior; 3 bay nave with wagon roof, perpendicular but 1536, large and small bosses alternate along spine, embattled wallplate, one nave window has cusped rear arch; central tower has two restored arches which take the motifs of the south door, colonnettes, twisted to nave arch, plain to chancel; above, paired chevrons making lozenges surmounted by greek key; groin vaulted tower has 4 heavy ribs which sit on grotesque dragon- like corbels; chancel, north and south windows have trefoil cusped rear arches. Fittings; C12 font, square with cross and chevron decoration on 3 sides, stands on plain circular capital on plinth; neo-Norman pulpit with colonnade; timber communion table and reredos of 1950; boiler screen of 1978 has some very fine carved timber detail. Tablet by T. King of Bath to Anne S.E. Gore, 1793. Glass; tower south window has mediaeval fragments; nave south window depicting Madonna and Child by W. Morris and Co.

Listing NGR: ST3795857287