Description

MEARE CP ST. MARY'S ROAD (North side)
ST44SE

3/51 Church of St. Mary

22.11.66

GV I

Anglican Parish Church. Formerly in keeping of Glastonbury Abbey; dedicated 1323 for Abbot Adam of Sodbury; nave with
aisles C15 for Abbot Selwood (1456-93), completed c1494 for Abbot Beere; cast-iron rainwater head dated:- "1896"
marking a restoration. Coursed and squared rubble, some ashlar, freestone dressings, stucco to chancel, lead sheeting
and slate roofs, coped verges with cruciform finials. Nave with clerestory, North and South aisles, South porch,
chancel with North vestry, West tower. Decorated and Perpendicular. Two stage unbuttressed and embattled tower;
pyramidal roof; simple 2-light bell-chamber windows, octagonal stair turret, gargoyles, 3-light perpendicular west
window, West door. Three bay nave and aisles, buttresses; each with a plain ashlar parapet, originally the aisles
surmounted by an interlace of pointed quatrefoils in lozenges, that to South side of south aisle completely missing;
and that to North side of North aisle and West end partly missing; East end of South aisle incorporating arms of Abbot
Selwood, gargoyles. Aisles with 3-light windows; 3-light windows to clerestory, iron stanchion and saddle bars. Porch
with chamfered outer door opening, 4-centred arch head, plank door with elaborate hinges, the scrolls issuing from a
"cuff", ascribed to C14; above a sundial. Two bay chancel, 2-light Decorated windows, renewed tracery; further
Perpendicular 3-light window; unusual 3-light East window: 3 lancet lights of which the middle is lower, a spheric
quadrangle cusped into 3 trefoils set above; carved heads as label stops; buttresses; priests door. Vestry with a
2-light lancet, Y-tracery. Plastered interior on flag floors; nave with arcades with slender piers of 4-hollows
moulding; tower arch with bold C14 moulding; chancel arch Perpendicular with angels as capitals; squint. Elaborate
panelled roof to nave with bosses, corbels carved as angels, that to South-east with arms of Abbot Beere; C19 wagon
roofs to aisles, again on angelic corbels, one in South aisle with masons name:- "John Jackman"; chancel with elaborate
queen-post roof, arch-bracing up to collar beam, 3 tiers of cusped windbraces; Octagonal Decorated font with a series
of bold mouldings; fine Perpendicular stone pulpit. Perpendicular alms box on pedestal; piscina; chest dated 1705; 2
Jacobean coffin stools; C19 pews and choir stalls; fine brass lectern of 1916; brass branch dated 1777. C17 and C18
tablets to chancel floor, 2 further C19 wall monuments. C19 stained glass to South aisle and West window; East window
of The Crucifixion post 1855; 2 further windows to chancel post 1871 by C.A. Cibbs; further traces of medieval glass to
the South aisle windows. Royal arms of 1840 under tower, also a painting of Christ. (Pevsner N, Buildings of England,
South and West Somerset, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST4553841706

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary, Meare at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117526

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)