Details
ORCHARD PORTMAN CP
ST22SW ORCHARD PORTMAN VILLAGE
4/93 Church of St Michael
25.2.55
GV II*
Parish church. Norman, chancel rebuilt early C15, Portman chapel erected as south aisle c1450, tower rebuilt c1540,
Portman chapel demolished 1844 and rebuilt 1910 when south porch resited as north porch, vestry and organ bay added.
Roughcast over lias, slate roof, coped verges. Plan: chancel, north east vestry and organ bay, 3-bay nave, south
chapel, north porch now blocked, entrance via west tower. Crenellated 3-stage tower, diagonal buttresses, string
courses, 2-light louvred bell-openings, 2-light below on south front, 3-light west window, pointed moulded arch
doorway, C19 door, square stair turret uncrenellated with remains of crocketed finials on first stage; north front
3-light window left of gabled projecting Portman chapel, diagonal buttresses, 3-light window, door on east return, to
right 3-light windows flanking buttress, priest's door, trefoil headed lancet to sanctuary, diagonal buttresses to east
end with fleur-de-lys ties (the emblem of the Portman family), 3-light east window, single storey vestry with lancet,
door on west front, 2-light window, buttress, 3-light mullioned windows flanking gabled, single storey porch, moulded
semi-circular headed opening with hoodmould, blocked with inserted lancet. Interior: plastered, exposed rubble in
tower. Ribbed wagon roof to chancel plastered barrel vault with moulded wall plates, shallow pitched moulded
compartment ceiling to Portman chapel dated 1910. No chancel arch, pointed tower arch chamfered in 2 orders flanked by
corbelled pilasters, chamfered pointed arch doorway to stair turret. Restored Norman doorway on north front, chevron
moulding. Circular font in porch. Portman chapel pannelled with wrought-iron sconces and brass plaque with details of
members of the family buried in the vault below nave. Brass to Henry Cole died 1633. Jacobean-style hexagonal pulpit.
Late medieval stained glass, upper lights of window set in north wall, showing 4 evangelists; late C19 and early C20
stained glass including east window and Portman chapel window both signed by Arthur J Dix and dated 1911 and 1910
respectively. The earlier Portman chapel was demolished at the same time as Orchard Portman House which stood
north-west of the church, illustrated by Kip in Britannia Illustrata, 1707. (Kelly's Directory, 1914; Pevsner,
Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).
Listing NGR: ST2437221650
