Church Of The Holy Cross

The Church of the Holy Cross is an Anglican parish church largely dating to the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, with a 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of coursed rubble stone with freestone dressings, and has slate and lead roofs with coped verges and finials. The church consists of a nave with a south aisle and south porch, a north transept, a chancel, and a west tower. The architectural styles are geometrical, Decorated, and Perpendicular.

The prominent west tower is of the Quantock type, featuring set-back buttresses which diagonally connect across the angles, terminating in tall diagonally-set shafts and pinnacles on the top stage. A polygonal stair turret rises to the north. The tower’s west doorway is flanked by a 4-light window with intricate tracery. Above are 2-light windows with Somerset tracery and canopied niches, and the bell-chamber has twin 2-light openings with Somerset tracery, flanked by thin shafts with pinnacles. The nave has 3-light Perpendicular windows on the north side. The south aisle has five bays, featuring 2-light windows with plate tracery, a small lancet, and a 3-light Perpendicular window with a square head. A 3-light Perpendicular window is located at the west end, and a 3-light window with reticulated tracery dating around 1330 at the east end. A lead plaque dated 1752 is set into the south wall. The gabled porch has a broad outer doorway, benched inside on a flagstone floor, and a small double-chamfered inner doorway with a trefoil niche above. The north transept is single bayed with a low-pitched gable, parapet with coping, and 3-light windows. The two-bay chancel has 2-light windows, renewed tracery from around 1300, two lancet lights with trefoils above, and a quatrefoil under the main arch. A conforming 3-light east window is also present. Evidence remains of a former rood turret to the north, and a ribbed and studded priest’s door features a moulded surround with carved head stops to the south.

The interior has plastered walls and flagstone floors. The arcade to the aisle has five bays with piers of a 4-hollows section, and a similarly styled arch to the north transept. A panelled Perpendicular tower arch features angel busts and incomplete fan-vaulting. The nave has a ceiled 17th-century wagon roof with a moulded cornice, ornamental bosses, and pendants over the former rood. Aisle windows feature small internal shafts. The chancel windows have rere-arches. Corbel heads support the aisle roof. Two good piscinae are present. The octagonal Perpendicular font has a Jacobean tester. Good miserere seats are found in the chancel. A tall C16 rood screen displays panels of 4-lights with a central mullion reaching to the arch apex, although the coving is missing. A Jacobean tower screen has an upper section of balusters. A C17 altar and two C17 chests are also present, alongside a wooden pulpit with blank arches on two tiers. Some late medieval carved bench ends with poppy finials are retained. C18/C19 wall monuments adorn the interior. Stained glass depicting St Dorothy is in the south aisle lancet, a piece dating to the 16th century, and other stained glass windows are from the 19th century.