Description

ST4715 NORTON SUB HAMDON CP CHURCH LANE (End)
9/184 Church of St. Mary the Virgin
(formerly listed as Church of St.
Mary)
19.4.61
GV I
Anglican parish church. C13 origins, but rebuilt c1500-1510; some restoration by Henry Wilson 1894 and 1904. Ham stone
ashlar; stone slate roof between stepped coped gables having cross finials, behind parapets. Four-cell plan of 2-bay
chancel, 4-bay nave and 5-bay aisles, flanking chancel at east end, with west tower and south porch; the roof
continuous over nave and aisles. Chancel has double plinth, low plain parapet with string and moulded coping, angled
corner buttresses: east window 4-light sub- arcuated tracery with traceried transome in hollowed arched recess, square-
stop label; small 3-light windows to match in east bay each side, and on south side a near-triangular arched moulded
doorway with carved spandrils under arched label. North aisle has double plinth, slightly higher, with string and
battlemented parapets; angled corner and bay buttresses; east window 3-light matching that of chancel nearby; the 5
side windows all 4- light sub-arcuated tracery in hollowed arched recesses with labels, that to bay 4 having higher
cill to accommodate a moulded 4-centre arched doorway with arched label, now blocked; west end largely obscured by the
tower. South aisle to match, but with added south porch, possibly later C16 or even C18: angled corner buttresses,
stone slab roof over internal rib vault; outer pointed arch with full internal order but stilted segmental pointed
outer order, and above a sundial dated 1711; inner arch C16 style moulded pointed. Tower, damaged by lightning and fire
1894, immediately restored: 5 stages, with double plinth, offset corner buttresses, dividing strings, battlemented
parapet with pairs corner pinnacles extended from buttresses, and central paired pinnacles corbelled off gargoyles;
lowest stage has moulded pointed arched west doorway in rectangular recess, with carved spandrils and flanking
diagonally set pilasters, the doors restored and coloured 1981; above a panel of 5 quatrefoils; west window occupies
stage 2 and half of stage 3, a 4-light to match east end, stages 1, 2 and 3 plain on sides except for canopied statue
niches set on the south side strings; to head of stage 3, cutting into stage 4, small rectangular windows in recesses
to north and south; to all faces of upper stage 4 and stage 5, tall 2-light traceried and transomed windows in hollowed
recesses, the stone frets distinctly Art Nouveau: hexagonal plan full-height stair turret on north east corner. Inside,
apparently little alteration other than stripping of plaster and making good damage after partial fall of tower:
chancel virtually continuous with nave, with elliptical vault ceiling having moulded ribs to plaster panels, carved
bosses and small angel corbels: aisles have angled timber panelled roofs; chancel arch simple attached full-height
sideshaft and arch following profile of ceiling; panelled tower arch also almost full height; side arcades 4-shaft and
hollow columned, again unusually high, but the arches off chancel lower. East wall of chancel has 2 canopied niches,
and a cusped ogee-arched piscina; late C19 3-panel stone reredos, C20 altar table and rails; choir stalls late C19, as
are low ironwork open chancel screen and traceried stone screens to aisles; 1894 Art Nouveau screen across tower, by
Wilson, who designed the magnificent but widly inappropriate alabaster font, a circular tub with twist fluting set on
square base with large fish to each corner, lid with small tabernacle, in 1904; earlier plain octagonal font by south
aisle screen: pews all C19. Three memorial brasses in tower to Benjamin Collins, died 1662, Henry Burchall died 1770,
and Elizabeth Burchell, died 1805. Stained glass includes early C16 fragments in tracery; East window by Wailes, 1861,
north chancel window by A.K Nicholson 1922, East window south chapel by Wilson 1904, and Art-Nouveau style leading to
west window. (Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West somerset, 1958; Leaflet in church, Unpublished and
undated; frisk C, Norton sub Hamdon, 1898).

Listing NGR: ST4706115966

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Mary the Virgin, Norton Sub Hamdon at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117602

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014