Description

ST5113
9/238

WEST COKER CP,
CHURCH STREET
Church of Saint Martin of Tours

(Formerly listed as Church of St Martin)

19.4.61

GV II

Church. C13 or C14 origins, mostly rebuilt in 1863-64. Ham stone cut and squared with ashlar dressings; plain clay tiles between coped gables, with bands of fish scale tiles to all but South Aisle; lead flat to tower. 6-unit plan of 3-bay chancel, North Chapel and South Vestry/Organ Chamber, with 4-bay nave and North and South aisles : short West tower. Chancel visible only as slight projection; angled corner buttresses with a C19 version of a 4-light C14 traceried window. South Chapel a C19 rebuild, with corner buttresses, also one at junction of chapel and aisle: 2-light traceried windows with pointed head to East window and flat heads to those to South, between which is a simple pointed arch door: high up rear South East corner small sundial with sheet metal gnomon. South aisle has 3-light windows with pointed arches and labels having C15 pattern tracery: the South porch to bay-3 totally C19. North aisle chapel apparently not a rebuild, but is of C16 date with tall flat-headed windows with labels of two cusped ogee heads each; small plinth, no buttresses. North aisle of C19, with offset buttresses each bay and C14 style traceried pointed windows, with arched doorway opposite South porch. Tower of 2-stages has date 1765 on East parapet: offset angle buttresses to lower stage, string course, low battlemented parapet with corner pinnacles; plain pointed arched West door with window over having C15 type tracery, on South side a 2-light 'Y'-traceried jointed windows and to North a semi circular stair turret, tapered and rendered, with slit windows and conical stone slated roof; to upper stage 2-light 'Y'-traceried windows with wood baffles all round, with clock faces of open metalwork above. The interior mostly of C13 character. Chancel has C19 scissor braced roof, transitional style arcades, C15 style chancel arch and C19 fittings. North Chapel has timber ribbed barrel vault ceiling possibly of C17, a C15 style West arch, a cusped ogee head piscina. Nave has transitional arcades, with some floriated bench ends, one dated 1633, a wood pulpit dated 1626; tower arch of C13 style. Plaster barrel vault to South aisle, which has a crudely moulded tub font with simple recessed panel decoration, possibly c1250, and nearby a 3-panelled chest of C17. In North aisle Chapel fine monument to the daughters of Sir John Portman, Bart, one of whom died 1661, consisting of two kneeling figures in segmental arched recess flanked by double Corinthian columns on corbelled base carrying full entablature and strapwork cartouche with the Portman arms. In North aisle crude early painting of church suggests this aisle much altered externally - little known of church history save that first recorded rector was in 1313.

Listing NGR: ST5164913573

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of Saint Martin of Tours at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17554792

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

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990