Church Of St Thomas A Becket

Church of St Thomas a Becket

Anglican parish church on Sherborne Road, South Cadbury. Dated to the 13th and 15th centuries, with restoration work carried out in the 1850s and 1870s. The building is constructed of Cary and lias stone, mostly ashlar, with some Doulting stone dressings. The roof is plain clay tile over stone slate base courses to the chancel, and Welsh slate over stone to the nave; both sections sit between stepped coped gables.

The church follows a three-cell plan, comprising a 2-bay chancel, a 3-bay nave with south aisle, and a west tower. Additional structures include a north porch, south-east vestry, and a west tower.

The chancel has a double plinth mould and eaves course, with no buttresses. The east window is a 3-light design in 15th-century style with a headtop label, installed in the 19th century. The north side of the chancel contains two 2-cusped lights under square labels, probably dating from the 15th century. The south-east vestry, which has no plinth but features an extended string and label course, contains latching 2-light windows that correspond with those on the chancel's north side; one window is reduced in size and was probably reused from the chancel's south wall. In the south-east corner stands a painted arched doorway set in a rectangular hollow-chamfered recess.

The south aisle is fitted with a plinth and eaves course. It contains two 15th-century 3-light traceried windows of differing patterns, each set under an arched square stop label. The nave includes a 2-light window and a 3-light window, both flat arched and set in hollow chamfered reveals. A projection in the nave accommodates a pulpit recess, which is sheltered by a stone roof and lit by a small window.

The north porch has a double plinth and a north gable crowned with a cross finial. A small east window is present. The outer doorway has an elliptical arched form set in a rectangular recess with foliated and Tudor-rose spandrils, and is topped by a small ogee cusped light. The inner door is similarly detailed with a plain statue niche above.

The tower, possibly dating from the early 15th century, formerly carried a spire, which was still in place in 1822. The tower has multiple stages, each with a double plinth and string courses. The top stage features gargoyles and battlemented parapets with crocketted corner pinnacles. Angled corner buttresses run the full height of the tower. A north-east square corner stair turret rises higher than the remainder of the tower and is lit by slit windows at each stage. The small but wide west door has a wave-moulded pointed arch label with headstops. Above it is a 2-light traceried window in 15th-century style, heavily restored, with a very slight label mould. Stage 1 and 2 are plain to each face, while stage 3 contains a 2-light traceried window set in a hollow chamfered reveal without a label.

The interior encompasses work of many periods. The chancel contains an 1874 rib and panel barrel vault roof and a panelled 15th-century chancel arch; squints formerly opened to both sides. The east window probably dates to 1874. Furnishings are predominantly 19th century, but the reredos includes a sculpture of the crucifixion by Earp of Lambeth, installed in 1780. The nave features a 15th-century timber rib and plaster panel vault ceiling with bosses and angels. An arcade opens into the south aisle, with 4-shaft columns dating to around 1280; the end shafts have turned mouldings. A matching tower arch is present. The 19th-century pulpit occupies a recess, and a 19th-century font is also present. The south aisle was largely rebuilt in 1853, though it incorporates a 14th-century piscina. Above the piscina are the remains of a window jamb with a fragment of medieval wall painting depicting a bishop, possibly Thomas a Becket. Glass in the east window was created by Clayton and Bell in 1874.

The church contains no significant memorials. The first recorded rector dates to 1265.