Description

ST4321 KINGSBURY EPISCOPI CP CHURCH STREET (North side)

8/113 Church of St. Martin

17.4.59

GV I

Anglican parish church. C14, C15, C19 restoration. Coursed and squared lias and Hamstone, tile and lead-sheeting roofs,
coped verges, chancel with a cruciform finial. Nave, north and south aisles, chancel, north and south chancel chapels,
east vestry projects, west tower. Predominantly Perpendicular. Very elaborate lofty 3-stage tower, embattled pierced
parapet, corner pinnacles with secondary pinnacles and intermediate pinnacles, quatrefoil band below the parapet,
set-back buttresses which terminate at the second stage with shafts with pinnacles which ascend to the third stage,
gargoyles; further quatrefoil bands at plinth level, and halfway up the first stage; paired 2-light bell-chamber
windows with Somerset tracery, quatrefoil grilles, transoms, flanking shafts with pinnacles, clock on 2 faces.
Ringing-chamber stage with a large transomed window with quatrefoil grilles, Somerset tracery, flanking crocketed
niches with figures, one missing, some slighted; bottom stage again with niches for figures, 2 headless to west
flanking doorway; pair of modern figures to south, a war memorial, also 4 achievements in relief; transomed 5-light
west window, emphasised door opening, foliate spandrels, paired ribbed and studded doors; topping polygonal
stair-turret to the north. Four bay aisles, 3-light traceried Perpendicular windows, labels, buttresses, tomb recess to
the south-west corner, north and south doorways, rood-turret to the north with battlements. South aisle embattled,
large gargoyles, 2-storayed porch, floor to upper room now removed, buttresses, small 2-light front-facing window,
stair-turret, embattled parapet with a central figure of the crucifixion and a finial, simple double-chamfered outer
door opening, pair fine C18 wooden dog gates with wrought-iron cresting, inside benched on flag-stone floors, C19 roof,
moulded inner door opening with carved heads as label stops, early ribbed and studded door; above a cusped niche. South
chapel a continuation of the south aisle, embattled, gargoyles, a 3 and a 4-light window. Very fine north chapel of a
single bay, 4 and 5-light mullioned and transomed window with good tracery. Very large 5-light transomed window with
tracery to the north and south sides of the chancel, further 5-light east window, pierced parapet, gargoyles.
Single-storeyed east vestry, pierced parapet, gargoyles, a 2- and a 4-light window. Interior plastered on flagstone
floors. Roofs all C19; wagon to nave with carved banding, rests on medieval angel corbels; lean-to's to the aisles with
ribbing; lean-to roof to south chancel chapel on medieval angel corbels; tie-beam roof to north chapel, though may
incorporate medieval work. Elaborate fan-vault under tower. Panelled tower arch with east buttresses right inside the
nave that must have been decided on for reasons of structural security, decorated with 2 tiers of niches and a second
panelled arch is struck from one to the other. C14 aisle arcades of 4 bays, octagonal piers, moulded caps. Late
Perpendicular lofty and slender chancel arch, foliate banding to the caps. In conforming style the paired arches to the
chancel chapels, 4-centred arch heads. Panelled arch between aisle and north chapel. Arch between aisle and south
chapel supported on 2 angel busts. Very fine C15 rood screen of 5 bays, restored 1955, tall 4-light sections, the
middle mullion reaching up into the apex, each 4-light arch has 2 sub-arches, 2 leaf friezes to the cornice. Re-cut
octagonal C14 font, large late C19 tester. Piscina to north chapel. Altar table dated 1728. Chest dated Ills. Jacobean
coffin stool. Much mid C19 work including pews, box pews, pulpit, choir stalls, altar rails and altar table. Painted
decoration to east end. Two C18 and 2 C19 wall monuments. Fragments of C15 stained glass to top lights of chapel and
chancel windows. Mid C19 glass to east window. North aisle window dated 1915 with a figure of St Martin, other windows
with plain leaded lights. C19 wheeled bier. Early C20 organ. Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset,
1958).

Listing NGR: ST4364621092

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 October 2017.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Martin, Kingsbury Episcopi at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117498

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)