Church of Saint Michael

Details

ST5312 EAST COKER CP

11/91 Church of Saint Michael

19.4.61

GV II*

Church. Late C12 with C15 and C19 work. Ham stone squared rubble with ashlar; fish-scale and plain clay tile roofs to nave, chancel and North Transept, stone slates to South transept and lead over aisles. A cruciform church with added side aisles and North porch; central tower unsafe and replaced in 1790 by North East corner tower; chancel 2-bays nominal, nave 3-bays plus crossing, aisles 3-bays, transepts one long bay. Chancel has offset corner buttresses, plinth and cross finial to coping; East window a C19 copy of former blocked C15 window, four-light traceried under pointed arch with pointed label; 3-light windows in 4 centred recessed arches to North and South sides. South transept simple; C15 tranceried 3-light window in pointed arch recess in South wall; a 2-light C18 window in East wall. South aisle has plinth, full height offset buttresses, plain parapet; three 3-light C15 traceried windows under pointed labels. North aisle similar, except that the parapet is crenellated; in centre bay the simple porch with moulded pointed archways. North transept projects only very slightly; the window matches that of South aisle. West end has plain moulded pointed arch doorway with C19 trancery above; C15 tranceried windows in pointed recessed arches to aisles, with label to North aisle; angled corner buttresses to aisles, nave projects slightly. Tower in 3-stages, of 1790 date; offset corner buttresses to top of second stage, octagonal stair turret on South East corner taller than rest of tower; tall plinth, string courses, simple open arcaded balustrade with small pinnacles to corners; lowest stage has small pointed East doorway and 3-light pointed window with double 'Y' tracery; second stage 2-light pointed window with 'Y' tracery on North face only; third stage similar window with baffles to East, blind window to West and on North face clock dial flanked by single-light round arched windows with baffles. Internally chancel has timber ribbed and bossed barrel vault ceiling; remainder seems C19 rebuild; wide pointed arch to crosing. Semi-circular arches with classical imposts to transepts; South transept has plaster barrel vault ceiling with stone cornice, and cill height panelling in box pews of 1790; coffer panelled C16 arch into South aisle; old heraldic glass in tracery of South window; North transept similar, without panelling and pews; the North window probably of C19 and set much lower, ribbed plaster vault with hipped end and stone cornice. The South aisle has a late C13 arcade with circular columns, pointed arches; North aisle has C15 arcade with 4-hollow piers, the entrance door probably C15 with external tracery decoration, and over is a 1690 hatchment board. C13 circular font with cable mould on modern base. Two recumbent effigies; that in South transept much damaged, but effigy of Lady Elizabeth Courtenay, died 1375 on West wall in better state. Also on the West wall the memorial tablet to T S Elliot, poet and writer, whose ashes were interred in 1965.

Listing NGR: ST5388312190

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

263649

Legacy System:

LBS

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