Church Of St David

Church of St David

Parish church with medieval origins, completely rebuilt between 1872 and 1875 by architect George Packham and builder James Parish. The chancel corner stone is dated 1872, and the tower buttress foundation stone records Samuel Rosegood as Rector.

The church is constructed of snecked, rock-faced volcanic stone with veined volcanic ashlar detailing to the nave and chancel, and Bathstone detailing to the tower. The roof is slate. The plan comprises a nave with lower chancel, west tower, vestry on the north side of the chancel, and a south porch.

The architectural style is Gothic, mixing elements of early Decorated, Perpendicular, and Tudor design. The west tower rises in two stages with a low offset angle and an embattled parapet with Bathstone corner finials raised on volcanic pinnacles. Two bold drip courses run across the tower, the upper course featuring large carved gargoyle heads on each corner. The belfry windows on both sides of the tower are large arch-headed 2-light openings in a simple Decorated style. A semi-octagonal stair turret on the north side contains a shoulder-headed external door with an original 19th-century door displaying ornate strap hinges. The west side of the tower has a volcanic ashlar doorway with a 2-centred arch and moulded surround containing double doors with ornate strap hinges, topped by an arch-headed 2-light window matching the belfry windows. The south side of the tower features two trefoil-headed lancets at ground floor level and a round window with cusped tracery to the ringing floor.

The south side of the nave contains two volcanic ashlar square-headed 3-light windows with trefoil heads, sunken spandrels, and hoodmoulds. The gable-ended south porch between these windows has a volcanic double-chamfered 2-centred outer arch, shaped kneelers, and plain coping surmounted by a cross of Iona. The north side of the nave has two 3-light windows in the same style as the south front.

The chancel is lower and narrower than the nave. Both nave and chancel have shaped kneelers and coping surmounted by plain Latin crosses, though some of the chancel coping has been replaced with 20th-century concrete. The south side of the chancel contains three square-headed single-light windows, all with trefoil heads, sunken spandrels, and hoodmoulds. The east end of the chancel has an arch-headed 3-light window in Perpendicular style, in which some of the tracery may be reused 15th-century work.

A gable-ended vestry stands at right angles on the north side of the chancel and includes a 2-light square-headed window.

Interior

The porch has a ceiled and vaulted roof. The south door is a 2-centred arch with chamfered surround containing a studded plank door with applied panelled coverstrips, plain strap hinges with fleur-de-lys finials, and an oak lock-case, possibly a heavily-restored original.

The nave has a plain ceiled vault. The chancel has a 3-bay Gothic false hammer beam roof with arch-braced trusses and raking queen struts. Plain chancel and tower arches separate the spaces.

A timber Gothic-style panelled screen crosses the tower arch, incorporating a range of windows with Gothic-style glazing bars. A timber Gothic-style reredos with painted panels depicts sacred monograms and symbols of the Holy Trinity, flanked by boards containing painted texts on painted ribbons with grapes or wheat-sheaves. An oak altar rail on wrought-iron supports features unusual floral decoration in brackets.

A 19th-century organ stands on the south side of the chancel with a small plaque recording its rebuilding by Geo. Oswald and Co. of Taunton. Victorian stained glass appears in the chancel.

A Norman-style Beerstone font predates 1848. The Gothic-style pulpit and pews were described as "modern" in 1848. There are no monuments.