Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, North Huish

The dedication to St Mary may not be authentic. This parish church is largely early 14th century, probably incorporating earlier fabric, with a 15th-century south aisle and south porch, a vestry added around 1840, and restorations in 1871 and 1884-5. It is built of local stone rubble, mainly slate rubble with granite dressings. The west tower, north side of the nave and the chancel retain remains of old render, while the south side of the upper stages of the tower is slate hung. In the 20th century, the south side of the lower stages of the tower and the west end of the south aisle were rendered. The roofs are slate with lead rolls to the ridges.

Plan and Development

The earliest record of a rector dates to 1308. The reconstruction of the church was dedicated in 1336 by Bishop Grandisson. This dedication may have been for the rebuilding of the chancel only, but it appears that the west tower with its integral spire and the north transept (Butterford aisle) are also early 14th century. The early 14th-century church comprised a nave, chancel, north transept and a west tower with a spire. The south doorway is also 14th century but is reused and was probably moved from the nave when the south aisle was added in the 15th century. Also in the 15th century the nave was reroofed. The south porch may be contemporary with the aisle or possibly a later 15th-century addition. Around 1840 a vestry was built on the north side of the chancel, and in 1846 the east window was renewed. The church was restored in 1871 (Whites) and again in 1884-5. In the late 20th century partitions were inserted into the arcade to convert the south aisle into a parish room.

Exterior

The north side of the nave has two late 19th-century decorated style two-light windows. The north transept has a circa 16th-century two-light window on the east side with uncusped three-centred lights and a hoodmould to the straight head, and a late 19th-century Perpendicular style three-light north window.

The slightly battered west tower is in two stages with diagonal buttresses on the west corners and angle buttresses on the east corners, all rising only to the belfry floor level. A polygonal stair turret on the north side of the tower rises to the ringing stage only and has a slate weathered roof and small window slits. The tower has an embattled parapet on granite corbels; the octagonal recessed spire is integral and built of dressed slate rubble with a stone finial. There are uncusped lancets on each side of the belfry and a cusped lancet on the south side of the ringing stage below. A three-light granite 15th or early 16th-century Perpendicular west window has a hoodmould over a small unmoulded two-centred arch west doorway.

The chancel has a slightly lower roof than the nave. The east window of 1846 is in decorated style and of three lights. On the south side is a small blocked priest's doorway with a three-centred granite arch; this doorway is set within a blocked original window opening. The north wall of the chancel is concealed by a circa 1840 vestry which has a brick stack at its north gable end and a 19th-century sash window on its east side with intersecting glazing bars and a brick four-centred arch; a doorway to the left is blocked.

The south aisle has a moulded slate wall plate and plinth; the plinth continues around the four granite buttresses which have moulded weathering to their set-offs, the easternmost being a diagonal buttress on the corner. Between the buttresses are four large late 19th-century (1884-5?) four-light Perpendicular style windows with almost round arches; their tracery is interesting, especially the tracery of the easternmost window on the south side and the east end window which have panel tracery with transoms suggesting a circa 1900 date. The east gable end of the aisle has late 19th-century moulded stone coping and a cross at the apex.

The porch is at the west end of the south side of the aisle, and at a lower level than the aisle; they may be contemporary or the porch could be later 15th century. It has a similarly moulded plinth and wall plate and a large moulded three-centred arch granite doorway with carved spandrels and a label with carved stops; on the bases of the doorway jambs there is a quatrefoil panel to the right and a pair of round-headed lancet-like recesses to the left. In the gable above the doorway is an elaborately shaped slate sundial dated 1686. The porch has its original ceiled wagon roof with roll moulded ribs, carved wall plate and later bosses.

The inner south doorway has a 14th-century two-centred arch frame with a double convex moulding and a lancet niche above; the door is circa mid 19th century with a two-centred arch and flush panels.

Interior

The walls have old plaster but the south aisle walls have been cement rendered. The floors are slate. There are 16th-century ceiled wagon roofs over the nave, transept and the south aisle, but most of the moulded ribs and plaster panels were removed from the south aisle roof in the late 20th century when a suspended ceiling was inserted underneath. The nave and north transept roofs have moulded ribs, carved bosses at the intersections and carved wall plates. The ceiled wagon roof over the narrower and slightly lower chancel has chamfered wall plates and then moulded ribs which seem to be 19th century but which may conceal an earlier roof structure above.

The east arch of the five-bay south arcade is lower to fit under the stone wall plate of the lower chancel. The granite arcade has four-centred, almost round, moulded arches; the moulded granite monolithic piers of standard A-type (Pevsner) have four shafts which rise into the capitals which have horizontal bands and similar bases without the bands. Only the south aisle windows appear to have their original [text incomplete in source]. The transept has an unmoulded two-centred arch and the tall tower arch is also two-centred but with imposts. There is no chancel arch.

On the south wall of the chancel is a tall blocked lancet with deep splays, later used as a doorway and now a sedilia; to its east a plain two-centred arch piscina with a crude drain, its slate shelf removed. On the north side of the chancel is a blocked chamfered two-centred arch doorway with diagonal stops or mitres for the sill. The pointed arch doorway to its left to the vestry is later. The doorways at the top and bottom of the tower stair turret have chamfered two-centred arches. The bell-ringer's floor has large unchamfered beams.

Furnishings

The stone reredos is supposed to be 19th century ("modern" Cresswell) or is it a reused 16th-century tomb? The 15th-century rood screen has been removed for repair and is now in storage in the transept; it has three-light panels and thick canopy-work in the spandrels but no coving or cresting; the cornice has strips of decoration and the wainscoting is pierced (Pevsner). The similar south parclose screen is in situ in the east bay of the arcade; both are painted and may have early colour underneath. The tower arch has an early 20th-century boarded and glazed partition. The nave benches and choir stalls with poppyheads are all late 19th century and complete, but the aisle benches have been removed. The late 19th-century polygonal wooden pulpit is probably contemporary; it has pierced gothic panels and has been moved to the transept. The wrought iron altar rail and wrought iron and brass lectern are late 19th century.

The crudely moulded octagonal granite font is dated 1662 and has initials R.O; it has an octagonal ogee domed wooden cover with a fircone finial. In the vestry the stairs to its higher floor level have a turned balustrade and there is a circa 1840 chimneypiece and safe.

Stained Glass

Late 19th-century patterned coloured glass in all the windows; the central light of the east window has a stained glass crucifixion.

Bells

[Number not specified]; four are dated 1804, one is dated 1899.

Monuments

Marble gothic wall monuments in the chancel commemorate Peter Perrin died 1851 and John Allen died 1853; a Neo-classical monument to another John Allen died 1846 is also in the chancel. The best monument is on the north wall of the nave to Richard Strode of Newnham Park died 1790; marble with a large draped urn at the top and fluted pilasters flanking the inscription which invites the reader to look at Butterford. "The stately mansion that adorns the brow of yonder summit". On the west wall on either side of the tower arch are various monuments to members of the Cornish family of Black Hall.