St Mary's Church, Bishops Lydeard
| Church of St Mary | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Somerset | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Bishops Lydeard |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°03′41″N 3°11′14″W / 51.0614°N 3.1872°W |
| Completed | 14th century |
The Church of St Mary in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England, dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]
In 1860–62 the church was extended by one bay and a vestry, by Edward Jeboult of Taunton, added.
The tower, which was built around 1497,[2] has pierced tracery battlements, pinnacles, set back buttresses terminating in pinnacles at the bell-storey, and pinnacles on the buttresses at each stage.[1] On the stonework are hunky punks which have been severely damaged by the weather, however one appears to represent a Sea serpent.[3]
Between 2010 and 2011, an eleven-month restoration programme, focussing on the tower and costing £240,000, was undertaken by Sally Strachey Historic Conservation, under the supervision of Smith Gamblin Architects.[4]
Several of the tombs in the churchyard are of historical importance, as are two crosses, one dating from the 14th century,[5] the other being the town's market cross which was moved to the churchyard in the 19th century.[6][7]
See also[edit]
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
- List of towers in Somerset
- List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
References[edit]
- ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1059248)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
- ^ Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
- ^ Wright, Peter Poyntz (2004). Hunky Punks: A Study in Somerset Stone Carving (2 ed.). Heart of Albion Press. pp. 46–53. ISBN 978-1872883755.
- ^ 5
- ^ Historic England. "Cross in Churchyard, Church of St Mary (1175069)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
- ^ Adkins, Lesley and Roy (1992). A Field Guide to Somerset Archaeology. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-946159-94-7.
- ^ Historic England. "Two crosses in St Mary's churchyard (1016708)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2014.