Details
ST3215 BROADWAY CP BROADWAY VILLAGE
11/10 Church of St Aldhelm and St
Eadburgha
4.2.58
GV I
Anglican parish church. C13 chancel and transepts, nave, porch, and tower C15, reseated and chancel refitted C19.
Random rubble chert stone, squared and coursed Ham stone tower, Ham stone dressings, slate roofs, coped verges. West
tower with north-east stair turret, aisless 2 bay nave, porch abutting south transept, north transept with organ bay in
angle with chancel. Crenellated 3-stage tower, crocketed finials in corners, gargoyles and string course, diagonal
buttresses rising to 2-light trefoil-headed louvred bell- openings, trefoil-headed 2-light window with continuous
hoodmould, 3-light west window resting on hoodmould of C19 west door, lancets to crenellated stair turret; south front
3-light window to nave, gabled single storey porch with south-west diagonal buttress, boot scraper inset, moulded
Perpendicular doorway interior render grooved as ashlar with ribbed barrel vault roof, pointed arch inner doorway and
old studded door carved with grafitti, probably C17 work, diagonally buttressed south transept, 2-light south window
with scratch dial said to be inset into wall below,, but not visible at time of survey (November 1985), 3-light on east
front renewed in C19, C19 priest's door, 2-light window, in diagonally buttressed chancel, 3 lancets forming east
window, chimney at east gable end of vestry, north front lancet and doorway, 3-light cinquefoil-headed window on east
front of north transept, setback buttresses, 3-light uncusped north and west windows, 3-light window to nave. Interior:
rendered except for south transept chapel which is squared and coursed Ham stone. No chancel arch, pointed tower arch,
arch to north transept, pointed arch with Perpendicular moulding to south transept. Ribbed and cusped wagon roof with
floral bosses and wallplate to chancel, ribbed wagon roof to south transept, similar with brattished wallplate to north
transept higher nave roof wagon roof with brattished wallplate and no bosses, Depresssed Tudor arch head openings with
incised spandrels between chancel and south transept forming hagioscopes, 3 stone steps remain above of former stair.
Scalloped rear-arches to east window of south transept and north window of north transept. Double roll moulded arched
doorway to stair turret Carved fronts of choir stalls presented 1927, altar front and panelling c1925, piece of tomb
stone set into cill of south chancel window with date 1717 visible. Ham stone table with moulded surround to Sara the
wife of John Forde, Vicar, died 1621, inscribed in Latin with good lettering. Other memorials of note: to William
Fewtrell, died 1777, wall tablet in grey and white marble with obelisk and urn; to John Fewtrell, died 1819, wall
tablet with convex centre, white marble on grey slate; to Freeman Smith, died 1801, wall tablet in similar materials of
Greek Revival design. Fine Perpendicular octagonal font with each lace divided into 3 trefoil-headed bays containing a
central figure flanked by shields, C20 base, Brass lectern. Stained and coloured oak pulpit carved with the Five founds
of Our Lord, restored in 1900 when the plaster coating removed and traces of colour were discovered. Remains of
mediaval glass in upper lights of east window in north transept, windows in nave dated l934 and 1933, east window dated
1923 and signed J Wippell and Co (Exeter), south window in south tansept dated 1903 west window 1863. Ten Commandments
and the Creed painted on 2 panels of tin and set against tower wall. Bells rehung 1931 (i)1672 (ii) 1748 Thomas
Bayley,Bridgwater, (iii) l672, (iv) 1798 George Davis Bridgwater,(v) 1583 A rare dedication to the Saxon saint of St
Aldhelm who was Bishop of Sherborne and died at Doulting in 709. The church is also dedicated to St Eadburgha,an
abbess and granddaughter of King Alfred. The isolation of the church from the village of Broadway, about half a ails to
the south-west is attributed to C17 plague. (Photograph in NMR; Pevsner, Buildings of England South and West Somerset,
1958; Anon, Church Guide,nd).
Listing NGR: ST3296715904
