Church Of Saint Peter

ST63SE 5/270

SHEPTON MONTAGUE CP LOWER SHEPTON Church of Saint Peter

24.3.61

GV II

Church. C13 origins, mostly C15 work surviving serious fire of 1964. Cary stone cut and squared, Doulting stone dressings; copper sheet roof between coped gables with finials. Only 3-bay nave survives with tower doubling as porch on centre South side; extent of C13 chancel denoted by low stone walls. C13 tapered jambs to pointed chancel arch now blocked in East wall, including 4 stone fragments from former chancel, possibly C12 work. Nave plinthed, no buttresses; windows pointed arch 3-light C15 traceried, mostly restored 1855 and 1966, all under labels; matching 2-light window in shallow recess in West wall with carved head stops to arched label over blocked C15 4-centre arched doorway with square label and foliage in carved spandrils. Tower of 2-stages with angled offset buttresses to South East and South West corners; plinth, string courses, crenellated parapet with corner pinnacles; 4-centre arch with arched label into porch, with recessed 2-light window with restored C15 style tracery over; to top of tower on all faces simple windows with pairs of segmental arched lights filled with pierced stonework baffles, small block sundial at base of stage-2 South side. Porch has plaster panel and beam ceiling and fine moulded 4-centre arched inner door, with legend Port Esy-ds Thomas, worked into arch moulding. Inside was gutted by fire and all work renewed in 1966; stained glass to former East window, dated 1926, incorporated into centre window North wall; above South doorway fine hatchment of Queen Elizabeth II by Somerset Guild of Craftsmen. (Guide to Church, undated).

Listing NGR: ST6819931742