Parish Church of St Andrew

Details

ST 35 NE BANWELL CHURCH STREET

4/14 Parish Church of St. Andrew 9.2.61

G.V. I

Parish Church, (Anglican). C15, restored early and mid C19. Ashlar, rubble, lead roofs. West tower, nave north and south aisles, south porch, chancel; all Perpendicular. Tower, ashlar, tall 4 stages with set back buttresses joined across the angle and a south east half octagon stair turret; first stage is blank north and south and has a west door under a heavily moulded pointed arch with drip mould with decorative stops, above that a tall 4 light window under a hoodmould; at junction of each stage, buttresses have weathered setbacks; second stage has 2 light windows under hoodmoulds and with label cills to north, south and west, that to west is blank with a lily in a vase and is flanked by niches containing Gabriel and Mary, the figures of the Annunciation; third stage has windows as second on all sides, clock face to west; fourth stage has 2 two light windows to north and south, 3 two light windows to east and west; they are divided by attached shafts with pinnacles which rise from string to cornice, buttresses become diagonal and bear pairs of crocketed shafts; trefoil pierced parapet with gargoyles and corner finials; panelled top stage to stair turret with octagonal, conical cap. Nave has 5 pointed 3 light clearstorey windows under a continuous dripstone; attached shafts between each window rise through parapet to crocketed pinnacles; north east and south east polygonal rood stair turrets rise to caps as tower turret. North and south aisles have windows as clearstorey but taller, they also appear east and west, all divided by buttresses, parapet as nave and tower; centre bay to north has inserted door, pointed arch decorated with fleurons under square dripmould. South porch has 3 light square head window over heavily moulded south doorway, polygonal parvice stair, parapet as tower inner porch door restored as at north with fleurons and masonic symbols; under east pier of this door is a fragment of Saxon work with interlaced decoration. Chancel has 2 three light windows under dripmoulds divided by buttresses, diagonal buttresses at east and a shortened east window of 5 lights; south priest's door; at north attached C19 vestry and C20 boiler room. Interior; tall moulded tower arch under line of first roof which predates clearstorey, St. Andrew in niche, now indoors; nave of 5 bays piers with hollows and attached shafts with capitals; clearstorey windows under continuous moulding which meets angel corbels from which roof springs; fine ribbed wagon roof with much embellished wallplates from which tracery extends down into the spandrels below; angels over each window, floral bosses at every junction; similar flat north aisle roof, C20 replacement to south aisle. Superb 7 bay rood screen of 1522, panelled dado with linenfold, Perpendicular tracery, fans rise to carry a multi frieze cornice, wider central bay has pair of doors; rood stair entrance to left under ogee arch with head corbel; chancel has C19 reredos and painted wagon roof and remains of aumbry and piscina. Fittings; perpendicular stone pulpit with crocketed tracery rising to frieze and under a sounding board dated 1621; C12 font with later floral motif; poppy head benches in nave; churchwardens' coat of arms in strapwork dates from Restoration but is overpainted in 1805. Glass; C15 fragments are reset in east windows of both aisles, whither they were removed in 1813 from the roof screen. Memorials; 7 late C18/early C19 tablets, white casket and eulogy on dark grounds. (Sources: Pevsner: The Buildings of England : North Somerset and Bristol, 1958; Bromwich : Banwell Parish Church, St. Andrew).

Listing NGR: ST3994759134

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

33352

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, (1958)
Bromwich, , Banwell Parish Church of St Andrew Church Guide, ()

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