Church Of St Peter And St Paul

ST5015 ODCOMBE CP DRAY ROAD (East side) 10/242 Church of St Peter and St Paul 19.4.61 GV II* Anglican parish church. C13 origins; C15, restored and transepts added 1874. Ham stone ashlar and near-ashlar; plain clay tiles with bands of scallop tiles between coped gables. Cruciform plan, with 2-bay chancel, 3-bay nave, central tower over crossing, transepts, south porch and south-east vestry. Chancel apparently a C19 rebuild: chamfered plinth, cill course, stylised bay and corner buttresses: east window 3-light Geometric traceried with arched headstop label, quatrefoil vent above; to north a cusped lancet and a 3-light window matching that to east: to south a 2-light window, and the vestry, which has a parallel roof, a 2-light east window and south door in plain pointed archway with label. North transept appears to be a partial rebuild - although an 1822 note mentions only chancel, tower, and nave - with angled corner buttresses; 2-light C15 style traceried windows in hollow chamfered arched recesses, 2 to south and 3 to north, mostly restored, with a cusped lancet east of the south porch; the west window a 4-light C15 style: under this the west door, apparently a re-use from former position, having moulded pointed arch in rectangular recess with carved spandrils, under deep square label with headstops. South porch apparently C15; gabled, with angled corner buttresses ending in crocketted pinnacles, with a stilted 4-centred outer arch but plain pointed inner arch having headstop label; inside a fine panelled rib vault ceiling, the stone ribs set on angel corbels over a deep quatrefoil panelled frieze. Tower has 2 stages above eaves level, with string courses, with gargoyles to top course, and battlemented parapet - probably a C19 addition - angled corner buttresses with pinnacles; south-east corner stair turret to full height; to lower stage small rectangular window in north and south faces; above, blind 2-light C15 style traceried windows, with clockface set into each side. Interior. mostly C19; chancel has 4-plane rib and arched truss ceiling; ogee arched piscina, possibly C14, and C13 plain chancel arch; side arches to crossing plain, that to nave may be late C14/early C15: nave has boarded rib and panel pointed vault ceiling. Fittings mostly C19, but square font with bowl of Purbeck stone with 4 round arched panels each face, on later panelled base, with remains of C14 traceried panelled font lid mounted on wall nearby. Hatchment board of 1852. East window as 1968 glass, remaining windows have reclaimed Cl9 stained glass. A copy of the Buckler drawing of the church on view shows a shorter nave with similar west door, no south transept or tower crown, and a stone slab roof to porch. First recorded rector 1245. (Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; Greenwood, C & J, Somerset Delineated, 1822).

Listing NGR: ST5069015466