Church Of St John

The Church of St John is a parish church with a history spanning from the 13th century to the 19th century. The west tower dates to the 13th century, while the north aisle was constructed between the 13th and early 14th centuries. The east wall of the north aisle was rebuilt in 1713 and extensively restored in 1862. Further work occurred in 1971, including re-roofing. The mid-19th century work is attributed to C.E. Giles, with construction carried out by Pearse of Minehead and Hole of Dunster.

The church is built of random rubble, with the upper stage of the tower roughcast. It has slate roofs and coped verges. A truncated stack sits at the west gable end of the south aisle. The building comprises a west tower, a four-bay nave, a three-bay north aisle, a two-bay organ chamber, a chancel, a four-bay south aisle, a two-bay south chapel, and a south porch.

The two-stage crenellated tower features diagonal buttresses and a two-light window at its west end. The south front includes a single-story gabled porch, unbuttressed, with a moulded pointed arch springing from engaged columns. A C19 inner door is present. Three two-light windows are positioned between buttresses, with a priest's door beyond; a lancet window is at the east end of the aisle, and a three-light east window illuminates the chancel. The north aisle has a two-light cinquefoil-headed window at its east end, followed by three similar windows on the north front, one two-light trefoil-headed window, and a three-light cinquefoil-headed window at the west end. The interior, with the exception of the west end, is rendered. C19 moulded arches lead to the chapel and south chapel with foliage capitals; the tower arch is unmoulded. The roofs are C19, with some old bosses in the nave.

The five-bay north arcade consists of octagonal piers without capitals, except for the easternmost one, and pointed arches. The south arcade has vigorously carved foliage capitals. A Norman font retains its base, stem and pillars, although the bowl is a C19 Italian marble addition. The church also features a mid-C19 Beer stone pulpit with panels carved with biblical scenes, and a mid-C19 stone reredos sculpted with da Vinci’s Last Supper, located in the south chapel. This replaced an Arts and Crafts style ceramic, alabaster and glass mosaic reredos, dado, and the east window, which were dedicated as a memorial to Philip Pleydell Bouverie and his wife, who died in 1890 and 1892 respectively. The south aisle was erected at their expense and contains glass by Clayton and Bell. The church also includes stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops.