Church Of St Mary Magdalene

744/9/1 CHURCH SQUARE 04-JUN-52 (East side) CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE MAGDALENE STREET (North side) CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE

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The huge west tower closes the view down Hammet Street with which it has extremely important group value. The church is mostly late C15, much restored. Aisled chancel, partly with clerestorey, 6 bay nave with 4 aisles and clerestorey. Fine vaulted south porch of 1508 with niches over entrance, The west tower (over 160 ft high) is the finest in Somerset, It is dated by wills to 1488-1514, but was entirely rebuilt 1858-62 (in replica) by Sir G G Scott and B Ferrey. The tower has 3 storeys above the great west window with paired openings, set-back buttresses, pinnacles, string courses etc. The tower is crowned by openwork battlements with tall openwork corner pinnacles. The low nave has an outstanding tie-beam roof with carved angels, bosses and peterae recently regilded. Tabernacled niches with Victorian statuary between the clerestorey windows, Large image niche in north arcade. Fanvault under tower, Because of repeated restorations there are few old furnishings. Monument to Robert Gray, died in 1635, with standing figure in north aisle. Large freestone slab from the tomb of Thomas More, died 1576, in inner south aisle, fragments of medieval glass in clerestorey.

All the listed buildings in Church Square together with the Church of St Mary Magdalene and the listed buildings in Hammet Street form an extremely important group.

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Listing NGR: ST2288124616