Church of St Andrew and St Mary

Details

ST2219
12/119
25.2.55


PITMINSTER CP
PITMINSTER VILLAGE
Church of St Andrew and St Mary

GV
I

Parish church. Circa 1300, enlarged C15, restored, north aisle, south porch and north west chapel rebuilt, clearstorey windows replaced and chancel arch rebuilt 1869 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, 1937 chancel restored by W.D Caröe, 1979 lady chapel restored.

Random rubble local stone, Ham stone dressings, slate roofs, coped verges, lead roofs to spire and south porch. West tower with spire, south west vestry and north west chapel, three bay aisled nave with clearstorey, north east lady chapel, south east chapel now organ bay, chancel.

Two-stage square tower, broached to octagon with quatrefoil parapet and two-light bell-opening, spire, three-light west window, two-light to vestry, setback buttresses, diagonally buttressed south aisle, gabled C19 single storey porch, diagonally buttressed, moulded arched opening, moulded inner doorway, C19 door with decorative hinges, two three-light windows right flanking stepped buttress, rood stair turret, C19 octagonal upper stage with pierced parapet, three-light windows to organ bay, good blue lias tablet on east wall to ----- died 1720, incised decoration and angel heads, south wall of chancel projection for tomb lit by two-light C20 window above, diagonally buttressed chancel, four-light east window, similar projection but with buttress on north wall of chancel, three-light east window to slightly projecting diagonally buttressed lady chapel, pierced quatrefoil parapet with shields, none to aisle parapet, ogee headed priests door in north east corner, two three-light windows left of two-storey porch with pierced quatrefoil parapet with shields, none to aisle parapet,ogee headed priests door in north east corner, two three-light windows left of two storey porch with pierced quatrefoil parapet above chamfered, four-centre arched doorway to parvise (not seen), gable over chamfered arched entrance, chamfered arched inner doorway with engaged colonettes, C19 door, stair turret on right return, two-light west window to chapel.

Interior: rendered. Three bay arcade of clustered colonettes with pointed arches chamfered in two orders, local grey sandstone to arches of original south arcade; pointed tower arch chamfered in two orders, late C19 four-centred arches to west chapel and vestry, C19 arch to lady chapel from north aisle, Perpendicular arches with angle capitals between lady chapel and chancel, similar with twisted leaf decoration to capitals between organ bay and chancel, and organ bay and south aisle.

Roofs: chancel, renewed ceiled ribbed barrel vault with bosses and wall plate, similar but restored roof to nave with C19 quatrefoil clearstorey windows, C19 monopitch ceiling to north aisle, C19 cambered compartment ceiling to south aisle, C15 compartment ceiling to tower. Moulded arched doorway to roodstair in south aisle. Lady chapel with trefoil headed piscina and part of stone support with trefoil headed panelling in south east corner, mutilated stone in north east corner, presumably part of crocketed statue niche.

In chancel two fine recumbent effigy tombs: left John Coles died 1607 and his wife Ann, daughter of Sir John Thynne of Longleat, painted in 1937, with alabaster children kneeling below; right John Coles died 1627 and his wife Elizabeth Wyndham died 1634, with four daughters kneeling below. Recumbant effigy of Humphrey Coles, died 1570 has been resited from chancel in the north west chapel. Humphrey Coles purchased the lands of Taunton Priory at the Dissolution and built a large mansion, part of which survives at Barton Grange (qv). Collection of mainly early C19 tablets, particularly to members of the Vibart family of Amberd House. Two hatchments, that of William Hawker, died 1806, and his daughter Ann, died 1834.

A few early C16 bench ends, majority C19. Very handsome early C17 pulpit with sounding board from the Bluecoat school in Frome, probably by London craftsmen. Linenfold panelling by organ. Octagonal Perpendicular font, quatrefoil decorated panels, two carved with depictions of St George and St James of Conpostela, later panel depicting Christ. Good brass lectern in memory of William Amasa Copp died 1901. Altar table and sanctuary fittings by W.D Caröe.

Remains of medieval stained glass in upper lights of lady chapel north window; collection of late C19-mid C20 glass including lady chapel east window 1894 and west window 1904, both by Keape, east window 1881. A fine collection of fittings.

(Photograph in NMR).

Listing NGR: ST2206419112

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

271062

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Peden, , St Mary and St Andrew Pitaminster Church Guide, (1983)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.