Church Of St Bartholomew

LYNG CP MAIN ROAD (South side) ST32NW EAST LYNG

7/22 Church of St Bartholomew 29.3.63 - I

Anglican parish church. C14, C15, restored mid C19. Coursed and squared lias and lias rubble, freestone dressings, slate roofs, coped verges. Nave, chancel, north and south porches, the latter now a vestry, west tower. Decorated and Perpendicular styles. Three-stage tower of Quantock type, set-back buttresses connected diagonally across the angles of the tower on the bottom 2 stages, these terminate as diagonal pinnacles on shafts at the third stage; paired 2-light bell-chamber windows with Somerset tracery flanked by attached shafts and pinnacles, quatrefoil grilles; similar single windows on the stage below, labels; embattled parapet with pierced quatrefoil panels, angle pinnacles, gargoyles; polygonal stair-turret to bottom stage with quatrefoiled parapet; 4-light west window with two 2-light sub-arches, west doorway with 4-centred arch head in moulded surround, spandrels with quatrefoil panels, paired ribbed and studded doors. Three-bay nave, 3 simple 2-light Decorated windows and a single Perpendicular window, remains of a former rood turret to north. Gabled C19 north porch. Rendered gabled vestry, C18 stone-mullioned window with Y-tracery. Two bay chancel with 2-light Decorated windows, one to north believed renewed 1903, 3-light Perpendicular east window. Scraped interior on wood block and flagstone floors under C19 wagon roofs, C19 ringing-chamber floor to tower. Panelled Perpendicular tower arch. Nave with piscina. Upper and lower entrances to rood. Norman tub font. Broad C14 sedilia in chancel with an ogee arch. Full set of C16 and C17 carved bench ends, much ornate work including figures and emblems, one bench dated 1614, some C19 restoration. Remains of base of C15 rood screen. Pulpit composed of richly carved fragments of the former rood loft. Two readers incorporating carving from old pews. C19 choir stalls incorporating further early carved fragments. Medieval chest. C18 chest. Under tower 2 large C18 paintings, Moses and Aaron. C19 altar rails and tiled reredos. Windows with rere-arches; to nave with simple leaded lights; to chancel with some medieval stained glass fragments, also windows by O'Connor dated 1866 and 1877, and window of 1903 by Thomas William Cann of Birmingham. Two C19 wall monuments. The building is believed to stand on a Saxon site, although there does not appear to be any Saxon work in the present structure. (Pevsner, N. Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; Aston and Leech, Historic Towns in Somerset, 1977; Church Guide, anon; SANHS Proceedings, 29, 48; Photographs in NMR).

Listing NGR: ST3326928874