Church of St Andrew and St Mary

Church of St Andrew and St Mary

This parish church in Pitminster village dates from around 1300, with significant 15th-century enlargements. The building underwent major restoration in 1869 under Sir George Gilbert Scott, when the north aisle, south porch, and north west chapel were rebuilt, the clearstorey windows replaced, and the chancel arch reconstructed. Further restoration of the chancel followed in 1937 by W.D. Caröe, and the lady chapel was restored in 1979.

The church is constructed of random rubble local stone with Ham stone dressings and slate roofs with coped verges. The spire and south porch have lead roofs. The building comprises a west tower with spire, south west vestry, and north west chapel, a three-bay aisled nave with clearstorey, a north east lady chapel, a south east chapel now used as an organ bay, and a chancel.

The two-stage square tower is broached to an octagon, featuring a quatrefoil parapet and two-light bell-opening, with a spire above. The three-light west window sits above setback buttresses. A diagonally buttressed south aisle and a gabled 19th-century single-storey south porch with diagonal buttresses add character to the south elevation. The porch has a moulded arched opening and inner doorway, a 19th-century door with decorative hinges, and two three-light windows flanking a stepped buttress. A rood stair turret is topped with a 19th-century octagonal upper stage and pierced parapet, with three-light windows lighting the organ bay. The south wall of the chancel projects to accommodate a tomb, lit by a two-light 20th-century window, and is diagonally buttressed. The chancel has a four-light east window. A similar projection with buttress on the north wall of the chancel features a three-light east window. The lady chapel, also diagonally buttressed, has a slightly projecting form with a three-light east window and a pierced quatrefoil parapet with shields. An ogee-headed priests' door sits in the north east corner. The north west chapel has a two-storey porch with pierced quatrefoil parapet above a chamfered four-centre arched doorway to the parvise (not seen internally). A gable surmounts the chamfered arched entrance, which has an inner chamfered arched doorway with engaged colonettes and a 19th-century door. A stair turret occupies the right return, and a two-light west window lights the chapel. A notable blue lias tablet on the east wall commemorates someone who died in 1720, decorated with incised work and angel heads.

The interior is rendered. The three-bay arcade comprises clustered colonettes with pointed arches chamfered in two orders. The original south arcade is of local grey sandstone. A pointed tower arch, also chamfered in two orders, rises above. Late 19th-century four-centred arches connect to the west chapel and vestry, with a 19th-century arch to the lady chapel from the north aisle. Perpendicular arches with angle capitals divide the lady chapel from the chancel, with similar arches featuring twisted leaf decoration on the capitals between the organ bay and chancel, and between the organ bay and south aisle.

The chancel roof is a renewed ceiled ribbed barrel vault with bosses and wall plate; the nave roof is similar but restored, with 19th-century quatrefoil clearstorey windows. The north aisle has a 19th-century monopitch ceiling, the south aisle a 19th-century cambered compartment ceiling, and the tower a 15th-century compartment ceiling. A moulded arched doorway to the roodstair opens from the south aisle. The lady chapel contains a trefoil-headed piscina and the remains of a stone support with trefoil-headed panelling in the south east corner, with mutilated stonework in the north east corner, apparently part of a crocketed statue niche.

Two fine recumbent effigy tombs occupy the chancel: on the left, John Coles, died 1607, and his wife Ann, daughter of Sir John Thynne of Longleat, with alabaster children kneeling below (painted in 1937); on the right, John Coles, died 1627, and his wife Elizabeth Wyndham, died 1634, with four daughters kneeling below. A recumbent effigy of Humphrey Coles, died 1570, has been resited from the chancel to the north west chapel. Humphrey Coles purchased the lands of Taunton Priory at the Dissolution and built a large mansion, part of which survives at Barton Grange. The church contains a collection of mainly early 19th-century tablets, particularly commemorating members of the Vibart family of Amberd House, together with two hatchments: one to William Hawker, died 1806, and his daughter Ann, died 1834.

A small number of early 16th-century bench ends remain; the majority are 19th-century work. A very handsome early 17th-century pulpit with sounding board, brought from the Bluecoat school in Frome and probably made by London craftsmen, is a fine feature. Linenfold panelling sits beside the organ. An octagonal Perpendicular font has quatrefoil-decorated panels, two carved with depictions of St George and St James of Compostela, with a later panel depicting Christ. A good brass lectern in memory of William Amasa Copp, died 1901, and altar table and sanctuary fittings by W.D. Caröe complete the furnishings.

Remains of medieval stained glass survive in the upper lights of the lady chapel north window. The church contains a collection of late 19th to mid-20th century glass, including the lady chapel east window of 1894 and west window of 1904, both by Keape, and an east window of 1881. The building retains a fine collection of fittings overall.