Details
ST62NW
4/141
SOUTH CADBURY CP
SHERBORNE ROAD (West side)
Church of St Thomas a Becket
(formerly listed as Church of St Thomas of Canterbury)
24.3.61
GV
II*
Anglican parish church. C13 and C15, restored in 1850's and 1870's. Cary and lias stone, mostly ashlar, with some
Doulting stone dressings; plain clay tile roof over stone slate base courses to chancel, Welsh slate over stone to
nave, both between stepped coped gables. Three-cell plan of 2-bay chancel and 3-bay nave and south aisle, with north
porch, south-east vestry and west tower. Chancel has double plinth mould, eaves course, no buttresses: east window of
3-lights, C19 in C15 style with headtop label; on north side two 2-cusped lights under square labels, probably C15;
south-east corner vestry has no plinth but extended string/label course, and latching 2-light windows to those of
chancel north side, one reduced in size, and probably reused from chancel south wall; in south-east corner a painted
arched doorway in rectangular hollow-chamfered recess. South aisle has plinth, eaves course; two C15 3-light traceried
windows of different patterns under arched square stop labels. Nave has a 2-light and a 3-light flat arched window set
in hollow chamfered reveals, with projection for pulpit recess which is under a stone roof and has a small window.
North porch has double plinth, north gable with cross finial, small east winnow; elliptical arched outer doorway in
rectangular recess with foliated and Tudor-rose spandrils, with small ogee cusped light over: similar inner door with
plain statue niche over. Tower possibly early C15, and still carried a spire in 1822: stages, with double plinth,
string courses, the top with gargoyles, battleiented parapets with crocketted corner pinnacles, angled corner
buttresses for full height: north-east square corner stair turret carried higher than remainder of tower, with slit
windows each stage: small but wide west door with wave-moulded pointed arch label with headstops; above a 2-light C15
style traceried window, heavily restored, with very slight label mould; elsewhere stages 1 and 2 plains to each face
stage S a 2-light traceried 2-light window in hollow chamfered reveal without label. Interior has work of many periods.
Chancel has 1874 rib and panel barrel vault roof, and east window probably same date; panelled C15 chancel arch,
squints formerly to both sides; furnishings C19, but including reredos sculpture of the crucifixion, by Earp of Lambeth
installed in 1780. Nave has C15 timber rib and plaster panel vault ceiling with bosses and angels; arcade into south
aisle, with 4-shaft columns, basically c1280, the end shafts having turned mouldings; tower arch to match; recess for
C19 pulpit, font also C19. South aisle largely rebuilt 1853, but incorporates a C14 piscina, above which are the
remains of a window jamb with fragment of medieval wall painting of a bishop, possibly Thomas a Becket. Glass in east
window by Clayton and Bell 1874. No significant memorials. First recorded rector 1265. (Anon, South Cadbury, A Brief
Guide with Historical Notes, Undated; Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).
Listing NGR: ST6314825494
