Details
ST62NW
4/36
COMPTON PAUNCEFOOT CP
COMPTON PAUNCEFOOT VILLAGE
Church of St Mary
24.3.61
GV II*
Anglican parish church. C15, restored and north aisle added in aid C19. Cary stone roughly cut and squared, Doulting
stone dressings; stone slate roofs between stepped coped gables with cross finials. Four-cell plan of single bay
chancel, 2-bay nave and north and south aisles, with small north-east vestry, south porch, and west tower with spire.
Chancel has double plinth, eaves course, offset corner buttresses; east window of 3-lights with C15 tracery, arched
label with square stops; single south window of 2 lights to match, with plain stops to label; north window similar, but
set in deep hollowed recess, with square foliated label stops. Small vestry of C19; plinth, string and eaves courses,
coped east gable and medieval style north-east chimney with conical top; in east wall, arched doorway in corner with
2-light C16 style flat arched window to right, and in gable a cusped lancet. North aisle C19, but the west window may
have been transferred from the south aisle, now blocked; plinth, bay buttresses, eaves course; C15 style 3-light
traceried windows in hollowed recesses with square stopped arched labels. South aisle his similar windows, 2 in south
wall and one in east. South porch possibly late C15, but of different build to church; details match aisles; outer
archway moulded, with pointed arch set under square label with foliage carved spandrils; above a cusped ogee-arched
statue recess with foliated base, with C19 statue of Virgin and Child, small incised sundial to right; inner doorway a
relatively plain moulded pointed arch. Tower of 2 stages, possibly earlier: plinth, angled corner buttresses to full
height of taller lower stage, string courses and plain shallow parapet; octagonal spire with ribbed edges, traceried
band at mid-height, crowned with weathervane reading 'J H 1804': west window 3-light, later Curvilinear tracery with
square stop label: in upper stage pairs of cusped lancets each face. Interior rather C19 in character, with boarded
panelled, moulded ribbed and bossed vaulted ceilings, all with faded C19 colouring. Chancel has simple piscina and
squint to south aisle, wide panelled chancel arch; C19 fittings and 1934 dado panelling. Nave arcades C15 character.
the north a C19 copy of south, with 4-shaft, 4-hollow columns; smaller possibly C14 tower arch: in south aisle six
quatrefoil panels with shields under south-east window, also small carved stone tablet to Anne Whiting, died 1535.
Fittings C19, with nicely carved stone pulpit: pews give no centre aisle; font possibly C19, plain octagonal bowl on
circular shaft: 1953 carved reredos to south altar. Memorials include large monument blocking former west window of
south aisle commemorating several generations of John Hunts, the last of whom, who died in 1830, reshaped Compton Lodge
into Compton Castle (qv): in north wall of tower marble monument to a John Hunt died 1660, and opposite a simpler
marble memorial to William Bragge died 1778. Stained glass by several artists, including 5 picture gloss windows by
Capronnier of Brussels, dated 1877; west window by Kempe 1896; side chancel windows C20, by Easton. Church first
mentioned 1262, first recorded rector 1316; major rebuilding probably occurred after 1485 bequest of Sir Walter
Pauncefoot for 'the building of the church', and ' the making of myne ile there'. (Heynes RF, Three Camelot Churches,
Country Life 6 November 1980; Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).
Listing NGR: ST6440926160
