Description

SO 38 NE
6/124

LYDBURY NORTH CP,
LYDBURY NORTH
Church of St Michael and All Angels

21/3/68

GV
I
Parish church. Early C12 nave, late C12 chancel and tower with probably C15 parapet; north transept probably rebuilt in C14; probably C15 south porch; south transept rebuilt in the C17, and the whole restored in 1901-2 by J T Micklethwaite, and the chancel in 1905. Coursed and uncoursed limestone rubble; nave, south porch and south transept partly roughcast circa 1901-2, and graded stone slate roofs. C12 cruciform plan with south porch, west tower, and two-storey south transept.

Tower: three stages with string courses, C12 pilaster buttress to east, C17 central and set back buttresses with set-offs, and circa 1901 diagonal buttresses to west; corbel table, coped battlemented parapet, and pyramidal cap with weathervane and flag pole; bell chamber openings on each face with two depressed-arched lights, small central rectangular window in each stage to west, and small central rectangular first stage window to south with clock on buttress above.

Nave: south side: chamfered-arched south doorway off-centre to left; probably C17 studded door with fleur-de-lys hinges. Gabled porch with circa 1901 embellishments, including carved brackets supporting carved cambered tie beam with brattishing above, weatherboarded gable end, and waney-edged bargeboards; two-bay C15 roof with queen-strut truss, central arch-braced collar truss and wind braces. Probably C18 side benches. Circa 1901 two-light leaded mullioned window high up to left of porch, C12 round-arched window to right of porch, and probably 1901 segmental-arched three-light window with hoodmould to far night. North side: C17 two-light window with Y-tracery to left and C12 round-arched window to right.

South transept: circa 1901 three-light mullioned first floor window in gable to south and circa 1901 segmental-headed three-light ground floor window with returned hoodmould; west front with catslide over staircase outshut, two-light mullioned window to west, and first floor lancet and depressed-arched boarded door to south; segmental-headed two-light circa 1901 window in east front.

North transept: two-light north window, and cusped lancets to east and west; circa 1901-2 octagonal stone stack.

Chancel: south side: central round-arched C12 window, trefoiled ogee-headed lancet to left, and window to right with two ogee-headed lights. North side: three C12 round-arched windows. East end: diagonal buttresses and circa 1901 moulded bargeboards; circa 1901 depressed-arched three-light window with panelled tracery and returned hoodmould; blocked C12 window to left.

INTERIOR: probably late C12 pointed tower-arch with scalloped capitals, and blocked former tower window above; C12 round-arch to north (Plowden) chapel; circa 1901-2 moulded and chamfered arch to south (Walcot) chapel, dying into responds with carved corbel heads of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII; piscina in north chapel, chamfered-arched piscina and aumbry in chancel; four-bay chancel roof with double purlins, wind braces, arch-braced collar trusses with V-struts above, and central queen-strut truss; eight-bay nave roof with double purlins, cusped quatrefoil wind braces, arch-braced collar trusses, end frames with queen-strut trusses, and moulded tie beam between fourth and fifth bays with short braces resting on brackets.

FITTINGS include: C18 communion rails with bulbous turned balusters, moulded rail, and central gate; two fluted image brackets flanking east window with rare circa 1640 wooden candlesticks; circa 1901-2 organ and loft to south in chancel; restored circa C15 rood screen consisting of tall one-light divisions with pierced traceried panels, traceried blank panels beneath, moulded muntins with shafts, and C20 battlemented frieze and cresting; square-headed doorway in north chapel leading to former rood loft staircase within wall, now blocked; painted Ten Commandments and Creed in tympanum above screen, signed and dated "Charles Bright Churchwarden, 1615"; plain circa 1500 north chapel screen with moulded muntins; octagonal wooden pulpit dated 1624 with carved panels, central carved guilloche band, gadrooned frieze, and circa 1901-2 stone base; restored C17 box pews with carved panels and turned knobs; probably late C12 font with round bowl in scalloped square block, square base and wooden cover of 1630; probably C17 alms box to left of south door with clasp and lock; parish chest; two hatchments in south transept.

MONUMENTS include: Johannes Ambler dated 1627, tablet in chancel consisting of lugged architrave with cherub's head below and cornice with segmental top above; Elizabeth Walcot dated 1654, tablet in south chapel consisting of lugged architrave with scrolled sides, double segmental pediment breaking forward with scrolled keystone, and shield above; Hester Bright dated 1790, tablet in nave consisting of oval plaque with crossed palms-below and half urn above; John Bright dated 1806, tablet in chancel consisting of oval plaque with draped urn above.

Listing NGR: SO3521686029

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529603

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]