Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a small Anglican church with a C11 foundation and fabric developed over several centuries. The earliest work likely dates to the 14th century, followed by alterations and the addition of a tower in the late 15th or early 16th century. A north aisle was added in 1842, and the church was restored around 1884-85 by Sir Arthur Blomfield. The church is constructed of random coursed and dressed stone, with ashlar detailing on the tower and parts of the walls, and has a stone slate roof with coped east verges, saddlestones, and cross finials.

The three-stage west tower features a moulded plinth, string courses, diagonal stepped buttresses, and an embattled parapet with gargoyles. A stair vice projects as an embattled turret in the north-east corner. The top stage has two-light stone louvred belfry windows, and a clock face on the south side. The west side has a long, two-light Decorated window above a stepped cavetto moulded pointed archway with a hoodmould.

The south porch, likely from the 15th century, has small diagonal buttresses flanking a moulded pointed archway with a sundial above. A doorway inside has fine original decorative iron hinges, stone wall seats with trefoil squint openings on each side, a stoup to the right, and a wagon roof with Jacobean carved bosses and mouldings. Two-light windows flank the nave – one Perpendicular with a square hoodmould on the left, and one Decorated on the right. The chancel has a small, three-centred priest's door with a square hoodmould, featuring the initials PB in the spandrels, likely representing the Priory of Bruton. A 3-light Perpendicular east window, dating from the 19th century, replaced an earlier window, which is now located in the north vestry. Three 19th-century Decorated two-light windows are situated on the north side.

Internally, a three-bay Decorated arcade dates from 1842. Ceilings were panelled in the late 19th century, and the chancel arch was renewed at that time. A round-arched, chamfered entrance to the rood stair, probably from the early 16th century, is visible on the south wall. Several good wall monuments are present, including two in the north aisle dedicated to the Lloyd family, who owned Whitminster House. These include Rebecca, dated 1625, in marble with a small kneeling effigy, and Nathaniel, from the late 17th century, in painted stone. A Jacobean pulpit is also present, along with remaining elements of a gilded reredos by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.