Details
MUCHELNEY CP
ST42SW
8/205
Church of SS Peter and Paul
17.4.59
GV I
Anglican Parish Church. Saxon origins, but mostly earlier C15. Local lias stone roughly cut and squared, Ham stone
dressings; Welsh slate roofs between stepped coped gables to nave and chancel, elsewhere sheet lead. Six-unit plan of
2-bay chancel, 3-bay nave, north and south aisles, with single-bay chapels to east end of each aisle, with north porch,
south vestry and west tower. Chancel has double plinth, angled corner buttresses, panelled with pinnacles at heads;
middle C15 traceried windows, 5-light to east, 3-light to side walls, set in hollowed recesses under labels, that to
east extended as a string. South chapel plainer, possibly modified in C19; plinth, angled corner buttress, eaves
course; 3-light C15 traceried windows in hollowed recesses without labels; south aisle similar, but with 2-light
windows under labels. South vestry, of C19 also matches. North chapel has double plinth, angled corner buttresses,
string course with gargoyles and battlemented parapet, with 3-light C15 traceried windows to east and north, with small
moulded pointed arched doorway without label in north wall, possibly early C19. North aisle similar to south, but the
2-light windows have unusual moulded imposts to mullions and jambs, and there is a string course with battlemented
parapets, with quatrefoil panels to merlons: north porch matches this, but is two storey and taller, having angled
corner buttresses, moulded outer pointed arch with small floriated capitals; above 2-light window without label; small
stair chamfer in north west angle; inside lierne vault with bosses and central quatrefoil panel, statue recess with
cinquefoil arch; moulded inner arch without capitals. Tower in 3 stages; double plinth, pairs of full-height corner
buttresses. south east octagonal stair turret with outer door, string courses, battlemented parapet with corner and
central pinnacles: west doorway 4-centre arched with quatrefoil spandrils under square label, and above 5-light
sub-arcuated window with plain transome, in hollowed recess, curved label extended as string; to side of door a column
stoup, set rather high; south face plain first stage, but north has 2-light blind traceried panel flanked by 2 shallow
canopied recesses: stage 2 has similar blind window and statue recesses on 3 sides, but to south a small cinquefoil
cusped window in square hollowed recess: stage 3 has pairs 2-light windows with pierced timber baffles with labels
extended as strings, divided by diagonal set shafts crowned with pinnacle - single window only south face. Inside,
chancel has rib and panel vault with coloured bosses, panelled arches to side chapels, very wide chancel arch with
small capitals to outer shafts; under south east window a 3-seater sedilia with double ogee canopies, small cusped arch
piscina in east wall; C13 sanctuary floor tiles came from Muchelney Abbey (q.v). Lady Chapel installed 1873. Nave has
ribbed and boarded ceiling with early C17 paintings of angels, cherubs and clouds, with star panels at east end and
crude sun in centre; arcades all C15, with 4-hollow piers; south chapel has stone reredos of four niches said to come
from elsewhere in parish; aisles have chamfer beam and panel ceilings; C13 coffin slab forms part of arch to north
porch, parvise stair nearby; panelled arch into vestry in south aisle; under-tower space has fan-vault ceiling, and
blocked inner doorway to stair. Fittings include font of Cl5, octagonal on panelled shaft, quatrefoil panels with
figures on principal faces, and corner added shafts, step has more C13 tiles; pulpit and lectern of 1830, taken from
Chapel of the Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1889/1892; pews late Cl8/early C19 box pews, with matching dado panelling; two
C17 chairs in chancel and Cl7 corner cupboard and chest in south aisle; two medieval wood figures mounted in panelled
arch to south aisle. George III hatchment board in north aisle, with later carving of Royal arms over north door;
fragment of C17 tapestry in tower spacer oil painting of Christ in the Sepulchre over high altar. Medieval fragments of
stained glass in east window and some C17/C18 glass in side chancel windows, both surrounded by gaudy C19 work. (VCH,
Vol III, 1974; Revd C P Terrell, A Guide to Muchelney Church, unpublished, undated.).
Listing NGR: ST4289624907
