Description

SPARKFORD CP CHURCH ROAD (East side)
ST62NW
4/166 Church of St Mary Magdalene
24.3.61
GV II*

Parish church. C14 and later; nave 1824 by Thomas Ellis. Local grey lias stone cut and squared, Ham stone dressings;
Welsh slate roofs over stone slate base courses between coped gables. Four-cell plan of 2-bay chancel, 3-bay nave,
south-east vestry and south chapel with organ over, with west tower embracing shallow porch. Chancel mostly C14/15;
chamfered plinth, angled corner buttresses, gabletted cross coping finial: east window 3-light C15 tracery, set in
hollow chamfered recess under square stop arched label; single 2-light window to each side, set flush without labels
could be C14 tracery; projecting south-east vestry without buttresses: coped south gable with cross finial; Y-tracery
2-light window in south wall, and segmental pointed arched doorway in west wall. Nave plain, without plinth or
buttresses, having simple Y-tracery pointed arched windows, 3 to north and 2 to south, latter flanking projecting
chapel and organ chamber, which has matching window in south wall; in both returns fragments of rural character C15
tracery, adapted as 2-light windows to the low level chapel; on west side door at upper level with flight of stone
steps and simple wrot iron guide rails. Tower C14/C15 in 3 stages; double plinth, string courses and battlemented
parapet corner pinnacles of odd pattern, probably C19; angled corner buttresses to full height, corner gargoyles:
west door - the main entrance - has moulded 4-centre arch under square label with square stops, spandrils uncarved;
above a C14/15 traceried 3-light window with arched square stop label; at second stage level a shallow statue niche on
west side, with very rural detailed flattish canopy; on south side trefoil cusped single light window; to upper stage
all round 2-light C15 traceried windows in hollow chamfered recesses without labels, all fitted with timber louvres; in
north east corner a square plan stair turret to full height with slit windows. Interior mostly C19 in character,
chancel has 3-plane rib and panel roof with bosses; rendered walls, no arch into vestry; chancel arch standard C15 roll
and hollow moulded. Nave has similar ceiling, plain walls; tower arch probably C14 with double chamfer mou1d and bell
capitals, with slim early C19 porch with fielded panel doors to west. Fittings include C19 choirstalls incorporating a
number of fine C16 bench ends; a C17 altar table and wood pulpit, the latter with new lower panels having the IHS
monogram; font probably C19; nave seats of wood and cast iron, park bench style; good C20 panelling to chapel under
organ loft in south wall. One early memorial, a brass plate to Johes Clyke, died 1513, First recorder rector 1297.
(Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, l958).

Listing NGR: ST6090725663

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary Magdalene at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17554337

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)