Chaffey Monument With Railings In Churchyard, About 55 Metres South Of Nave, Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Chaffey monument is an early 20th-century chest tomb located about 55 metres south of the nave of the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Stoke sub Hamdon. It is constructed from Ham stone and features cast iron railings. The tomb has a moulded base with an ovolo-mould panel on each end and side, displaying the symbol of clasped hands and the motto 'quis separatit' on the west panel. It also includes a pulvinated frieze decorated with acanthus leaves and a heavy shallowly hipped top with cyma recta coving. Surrounding the tomb are railings set on a low stone kerb approximately 300mm high, with cast iron uprights topped with knob finials and linked by twist rails. This monument commemorates John Chaffey, who died in 1904, and is an interesting early 20th-century interpretation of a 17th-century style chest tomb, similar to others belonging to the Chaffey family located on the north side of the church.