Description

NORTH WRAXALL NORTH WRAXALL VILLAGE
ST 87 NW
2/429 Church of St. James
20.12.60
GV I

Anglican parish church, C13, C14 and C15 with late C18 north aisle.
Rubble stone with some rendering, stone tiled roofs and coped
gables. West tower, nave, south porch, north aisle and chancel.
West tower 3 stages, lower 2 stages C13 with stepped diagonal
buttresses, rendered walls and small single lights to west side;
1840 ashlar top stage with Y-tracery 2-light bell opening each side,
dripcourse, plain parapet and corner pinnacles. Nave south side has
C18 2-light window; projecting C14 porch, stone tiled with arch-
braced-collar rafter roof and dogtooth carving to wallplate. Fine
C12 south doorway framed by 2 circular shafts with scallop
capitals, square abaci, chevron-moulded arch with pellets to
hoodmould; ashlar gable over 3-light pointed window with flamboyant
tracery; stepped south east buttress. Chancel south side has
Perpendicular flat-head 2-light window with hood and 3-light
window. Blocked very low door between. Triplet of C13 lancets at
east end and 2 north side lancets. North aisle replacing an
earlier aisle, coursed squared rubble, stepped corner buttresses
and ashlar coved eaves. East and west windows and 4 north windows
of 2-lights with trefoil above. Tracery idiosyncratic.
Interior: 3 chamfer tower arch, plastered nave roof, fine C14
octagonal font. South wall former rood stairs behind fine early C17
moulded panelled pulpit with tester. 2-chamfer chancel arch,
plastered chancel roof and good c1850 bright coloured stained
glass, east window incorporating old fragments. Dutch C17 painting
over altar. East wall Gothic tablet to Reverend M. Wyatt died 1830
by Reeves of Bath. North arcade of 4 bays, quatrefoil clustered
shafts and 2-hollow moulded arches, recut or rebuilt early C19.
Bases of original piers remain. North aisle rebuilt late C18 with
east end as Methuen chapel, dividing screen similar to nave arcade
but with tall centre arch flanked by lower side arches. Spearhead
iron railings. Windows have early and mid C19 stained glass.
Methuen chapel has shallow curved ceiling with pattern of coats of
arms radiating in genealogical order linked by rope moulding.
Black and white marble floor laid 1780 around monumental Greek
revival white marble sarcophagus of Paul Methuen (1723-95) and
Christian Methuen (died 1779), possibly by Nollekens 1780. East
end plaques to P. C. Methuen (died 1816) by King of Bath and to P.
M. Methuen (died 1837) by Sir R. Westmacott. Methuen chapel
reputedly built 1793 but payments for floor and monument from 1780.
(Pevsner: Wiltshire 1975 360. Gunnis: Dictionary of British
Sculptors 1951 278.)

Listing NGR: ST8179775068

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529262

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)