Church of St Mary the Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Anglican parish church of 13th, 14th, predominantly 15th and 16th century date, restored in the late 19th century and between 1933 and 1939 by the Caroe practice. The building is constructed of coursed and squared rubble with freestone dressings, lead sheeting and slate roofs with coped verges and cruciform finials. It comprises a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, north and south porches, north and south transepts, a north vestry and a west tower, arranged in cruciform plan.

The style is mainly Perpendicular with a Decorated chancel. The tower is lofty and of four stages, with an embattled parapet decorated with quatrefoil arcading and set-back buttresses connected diagonally across the angles, terminating in pinnacles at the bell-chamber stage. The lowest stage is blank on the north and south sides but the west face contains a large four-light window and a door. The stage above has traceried two-light windows on all four sides with flanking niches, canopies and some remains of statuary. Similar treatment appears on the stage above. The bell-stage has three transomed traceried windows set together on each face, flanking pinnacles, and above are square pinnacles with pennants and intermediate pinnacles. A polygonal stair-turret to the north has battlements, and the tower features gargoyles and a clock to the south.

The nave is long with five bays and an embattled parapet with gargoyles. A three-light clerestory with tracery and four-centred heads runs along its length. The four-bay aisles have three-light traceried windows with pointed-arch heads, the south aisle being embattled and the north aisle having a plain parapet; both feature gargoyles and buttresses. The embattled parapet continues over the buttressed gabled south porch, which has a niche with canopy to its gable face and a doorway with panelled arch flanked by paired 18th-century dog-gates with iron cresting.

The south transept is buttressed and carries the initials "RB" (Richard Beere, Abbot of Glastonbury 1499-1524) and an emblem of a pelican on its buttresses. It has an embattled parapet and traceried three-light windows. At its junction with the chancel stands an odd slender buttress which may indicate evidence of a former central tower.

The north transept features a tall transomed three-light north window and a large attached 19th-century chimney. The north porch is small with moulded inner and outer door openings and an 18th-century outer door with panelling.

The chancel comprises two bays with two-light traceried Decorated windows, except for a three-light Perpendicular window to the south-west, a priest's door to the south, and a four-light neo-Perpendicular east window. A polygonal rood stair was designed by Caroe. The small vestry dates to the 13th century and features a large buttress to the north and a lancet window, with a further later lancet to the east.

Interior

The interior of the south porch is plastered with a flagstone floor and a restored 15th-century roof with angel corbels, and contains a restored traceried inner door with a latch mechanism by Caroe.

The church interior is plastered and laid with flagstone floors inset with numerous 17th, 18th and 19th-century memorials, including the matrix of a former brass. Six-bay arcades with piers of four-hollows section support panelled arches to the transepts featuring angel busts, and panelled chancel and tower arches. The tower arch features a fan-vault. The nave has a good roof of low pitch with big tie-beams, short arched-braces, angel busts and kingposts, with close tracery of two tiers to left and right. A beam over the rood is carved with the initials "RB", and angel corbels appear throughout.

The aisles have panelled lean-to roofs with bosses on angel corbels, while the south transept has a panelled roof. The north transept retains a plastered wagon roof, and the chancel has a 19th-century wagon roof.

A vested figure of a priest in the north transept dates to the 13th century and stands in a niche with a restored cusped head. The chancel windows have shafted rere arches. A hagioscope is present, and piscinae are located in the transepts.

A good set of 15th-century bench ends features large tracery motifs and some poppy heads, one carved with the initials "RB". A 14th-century font has a 19th-century cover. A Jacobean altar table and a chest dated 1670 are present. Victorian pews, pulpit and brass lectern remain. The Caroe practice contributed substantial work including a rood screen with loft, readers incorporating medieval work, benches, altar rails and altar tables. The organ case was probably also designed by Caroe, though the instrument itself is earlier. Six principal 19th-century wall monuments are displayed.

Most windows have plain leaded lights with iron saddle and stanchion bars. Remains of medieval glass survive in the north and south transepts and in the south-west window of the chancel.

The church contains six bells, two of 18th-century date, and an early clock mechanism.

Following the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6 July 1685, approximately 500 defeated rebels were imprisoned in the church for a short time.