Description

ST54SE CROSCOMBE CP CHURCH STREET (East side)

14/28 Church of St Mary the Virgin

2.6.61

GV I

Anglican Parish Church. Predominantly C15/C16; C19 restoration. Ashlar, lead sheeting roofs, coped verges, cruciform
finials. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles clasping the latter, the south with a 2-storey meeting room at its west
end, north aisle with a transeptal chapel, now a vestry, west tower, south porch. Perpendicular. Three-stage west
tower, diagonal buttresses, pinnacles, embattled parapet, gargoyles, niches with figures, recessed stone spire with a
band of blind arcading, 2-light bell-chamber windows with louvres; clock to south side; low turret to ringing chamber;
2-light west window, west door. Nave with a crenellated parapet with pinnacles, gargoyles; continuous over chancel;
clerestory stage with 3-light cambered head windows, 3 to nave, one beyond the chancel arch. Aisle parapets with blind
foiled niches, similar continuing over porch, meeting room and north chapel, further gargoyles. Four bay aisles with
buttresses, large 3-light windows, north and south doorways; north aisle with a rood turret. South porch with a shafted
C13 door opening. Meeting room with 2-light windows to first floor, barred openings to ground floor; chapel with 2
cusped lancets; small 3-light window to each side of chancel, 5-light east window. Particularly well furnished
interior; plastered, flag floors; 5 bay arcade to north and south aisles, piers with 4 shaft-mouldings; tower arch of 3
recessed orders; chancel arch on corbels. C15 wagon roof to nave with bosses; restored lean-to roofs to aisles, that to
south on elaborate corbels; C17 tie-bean roof to chancel on angel corbels; fan vault under tower, vestry with a ribbed
tunnel vault. C14 piscina with a cusped head; entrance to rood loft; C19 stone reredos with a medieval tablet inset to
each side. Much woodwork the gift of the Fortesque family, particularly the 2-tiered arcaded screen with attached
paired readers, obelisk finials, strapwork, heraldic shields, and set over all the coloured archievenent of Stuart arms
in a carved frame with a cornice and strapwork cresting; pulpit with a sounding board of 1616; many C17 box pews,
further C15 pews with carved ends and poppy finials later altered to box pews. Stone tablet with archievment to north
chancel wall; 3 futher C18 and 10 C19 monuments; 2 brasses to Bisse family in south aisle of 1606 and 1625. Octagonal
lead-lined font, probably C14. Branch dated 1707, futher large C18 branch. C19 wooden plaque to north aisle
commemorating 2 charities. Two C17 chairs and an elaborate chest. C19 stained glass to chancel and under tower, east
window of south aisle of 1925 though some medieval glass to sub-lights. Peal of 6 bells, earliest 1613i organ dated
1837. (Pevsner N, Buildings of England, North Somerset and Bristol, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST5906544414

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary the Virgin, Croscombe at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117590

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)