Details
WINCHAM CP CHURCH STREET (West side)
ST30NE
4/90 Church of St Stephen
4.2.58
GV II*
Anglican parish church. C13 origins, mostly C15 with C19 restoration. Local lias stone. some rubble. some squared, with
areas of flint, Ham stone dressings; Welsh slate roofs between coped gables. Three-cell plan of 2-bay chancel, crossing
with tower, and long 2-bay nave, with south porch linked to separate C20 vestry; the chancel inclined southwards off
axis, Chancel has plinth angled corner buttresses; east window a 3-light C19 rebuild with geometric tracery and arched
square-stop label: in south wall a plain lancet with label to east. a small 2-light early Perpendicular window to west,
also with arched label, and between them a mouldid pointed arched doorway with label, probably C15: to north wall a
2-light early Perpendicular window with label to east, and a simple Lancet with unstooped label to west. Central tower.
in 3 stages, with octagonal-plan stair-turret, slightly higher, on south-west corner, has strings, corner gargoyles,
battlemented parapets, side buttresses 2 stages high: lowest stage plain to north, but with restored 2-light C15
traceried window in deep hollowed recess on south; stage 2 has small lancet on east face: to all faces of stage 3 are
2-light C15 traceried windows in deep 4-centre-arched hollowed recesses, with clockface inserted on east side. Nave has
plinth, angled corner and bay buttresses; wide 3-light C15 traceried windows of varying patterns in deep hollowed
recesses under arched square-stop labels, 2 each on north and south sides: west end has a former moulded pointed-arched
doorway under deep square label with headstops, and foliage-carved spandrils, now converted to a 3-light window,
flanked by, two half-height buttresses, and above an almost semi-circular-arched 3-light window with Curvilinear tracery
under beadstop label. South porch gabled and coped with squared block sundial, with no buttresses; plain chamfered
pointed outer arch, with pair C18 panelled doors; inner doorway chamfered and almost semi-circular arched. Linked to
the porch by a pitched-roof covered way is the vestry of l926/30/, in cut and squared Ham stone with ashlar dressings,
Welsh slate roof between coped gables with finials, the ridge parallel with that of nave; 2-light C15 style windows in
gable walls, and a 3-light flat arched window in south wall; doorway in north wall opposite porch. Interior varied.
Chancel largely restored in C19, with open ribbed barrel vault roof; windows on south side have internal labels; east
wall has fragments of linenfold panelling used as dado, and an 1873 reredos by Harry Hems of Exeter. Chancel and nave
arches of crossing of C15, with timber screen mostly of C15; the under-tower space has a C19 timber roof. Nave has a
timber rib-and-panel roof with large bosses, possibly of C15; small squint on south side of nave arch. Fittings include
fine Jacobean timber panelled pulpit, with Ionic columns to corners, on a later base, with an octagonal tester having a
bell-hip top with acorn finial; C15 panelled octagonal stone font; otherwise fittings Cl9. On north wall of tower a
fine painted tympanum piece on boards, illuminatinq the crucifixion; of C15/Cl6, this is one of very few known with
this subject, and formerly was set over the screen/rood loft. Memorials include a wall tablet in marble commemorating
Robert Henley, died 1639 in east wall of chancel. Six mass dials on exterior of building. First recorded rector 1321.
(Pevsner, N, Buildigns of England, South and West Somerset, l958; A Short History and Guide, The Church of St Stephen
Winsham, Published by the PCC).
Listing NGR: ST3746306273
