Details
ST2024 BISHOP'S HULL CP BISHOP'S HULL ROAD (East side
13/8 Church of St Peter and St Paul
25.2.55
GV II*
Parish church. C13 lower stage of tower, upper C14, 1536 chancel and chapel, 1827-8 nave enlarged one bay beyond South
aisle, arcade of latter removed, West end rebuilt, mid C20 West gallery added, West end windows renewed and lateral
stack with boilerhouse added on South front. Early C19 work by Richard Carver. Roughcast West and South fronts, others
blue lias and red sandstone random rubble with some brick, Ham stone dressings, asbestos slate roof to chancel, other
roofs Welsh slate, coped verges. Plan: North tower, 2 bay North-East chapel, chancel, South-East chapel, long 2 bay
nave, 3 bays wide, West porch, North-West vestry. 4 stage crenellated tower, square base broached to an octagon on
upper 3 stages, string courses, 2-light bell openings, lancet, all with Somerset tracery, pointed arch North doorway
with continuous double chamfer: right, single storey vestry, diagonal; butttress, reset C13 2-light West window,
external stairs to West end gallery door. Gabled West front, diagonal buttresses, lancet in gable end, 4-light Tudor
head window flanked by similar 2-light windows, single storey 3 bay porch with pointed arch openings, inner door left
C19 Tudor arched head, chamfered, panelled double door; right reset moulded 4-centred arch doorway with ribbed and
studded door, possibly C18, South front disfigured by tall C20 roughcast stack with single storey brick boilerhouse,
two 3-light windows, sundial between, South front of chapel 3-light cinquefoil headed mullioned window, diagonal
buttress to South chapel, 3-light East window, diagonal buttress to chancel 12 lght cinquefoil headed South window,
3-light East window, to right blue lias tablet to Mary, wife of the Rev. Farmham Haskell, died 1770. North chapel
3-light East window, North front of chapel 3 and 2-light cinquefoil headed mullioned windows, tower abutting right.
Interior: rendered. Long 2 bays nave without arcades, Perpendicular arches between South chapel and chancel, chancel
arch and arch between South chapel and nave dying into imposts, 2 arches to North chapel with angel capitals, tower
arch blocked, entry via vestry door with blocked 2 centred arch above, perhaps entry to earlier gallery. Plastered
cambered nave roof, ribbed wagon roofs with bosses to chapels, chancel restored ribbed wagon roof with bosses and
will-plate. Aumbry in North chapel, 4 pieces of carved stone set against East Wall, one said to be dated, perhaps from
demolished arcade. 2-light clerestory window made from rood loft opening in North wall, C20 panelled oak West end
gallery carried on square columns, Royal Coat of Arms attached. Fine collection of C16 bench ends. including 6 set
against wall in North chapel, majority of seating early C19 box pews. Impressive alabaster monument in chancel to
George Farewell, died 1616, reclining figure with wife below in bas-relief flanked by 5 daughters and 3 sons, traces of
colour, segmental head of niche split. Two good C17 wall tablets reset on South wall of nave, to George Farwell died
1647, and to his daughter Mary Brune, with pendant niche containg 3 children stacked one on top of the other. Pulpit
composed of reset panelling, probably constructed early C19. The chancel walls are in poor condition due to subsidence.
the chancel having been constructed without foundations. Until 1885 the parish was considerabley larger and this was
the most fashionable church in Taunton during the first half of the C19. (Photographs in NMR Pevsner, Buildings of
England South and West Somerset, 1958; SANHS proceedings, vol 5B, 1912),
Listing NGR: ST2048224757
