Church of St Martin, Kingsbury Episcopi
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Martin in Kingsbury Episcopi
, Somerset
, England dates from the 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The church which stands on the site of an earlier Saxon church of which no trace remains, is dedicated to St Martin
boasts an ornate Somerset Tower
, 99 feet (30 m) tall, made of stone from nearby Ham Hill. There is a four bay aisle
d nave
. Pevsner describes the chancel
and chapels of the church as "gloriously lit" and advises visiting on a fine morning. He writes that the nave is older than the rest of the church, "no doubt of before 1400, and not yet infected with the later exuberance" of the Late Perpendicular style of the tower and other parts of St Martin's. Poyntz Wright suggests the 100 feet (30.5 m) high, west tower was built in 1515.
The four stage tower is supported by buttress
es and has bands of blank quatrefoil
s, and is surmounted by battlement
s with pinnacle
s.
The church was renovated between 1845 and 1849.
The parish is part of the benefice
of Kingsbury Episcopi, East Lambrook and Hambridge within the deanery of Crewkerne
and Ilminster
.
Kingsbury Episcopi
Kingsbury Episcopi is a village and civil parish on the River Parrett in Somerset, England, situated north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 1,277. The parish includes the villages of West Lambrook, East Lambrook and Thorney.-History:The "Episcopi"...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England dates from the 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The church which stands on the site of an earlier Saxon church of which no trace remains, is dedicated to St Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
boasts an ornate Somerset Tower
Somerset towers
The Somerset towers are a collection of distinctive, mostly spireless Gothic church towers in the county of Somerset in south west England.Where beautiful castles and church spires rise above other parts of England, the crowning glory of many Somerset towns and villages is these medieval church...
, 99 feet (30 m) tall, made of stone from nearby Ham Hill. There is a four bay aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
d nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. Pevsner describes the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and chapels of the church as "gloriously lit" and advises visiting on a fine morning. He writes that the nave is older than the rest of the church, "no doubt of before 1400, and not yet infected with the later exuberance" of the Late Perpendicular style of the tower and other parts of St Martin's. Poyntz Wright suggests the 100 feet (30.5 m) high, west tower was built in 1515.
The four stage tower is supported by buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and has bands of blank quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
s, and is surmounted by battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s with pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s.
The church was renovated between 1845 and 1849.
The parish is part of the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Kingsbury Episcopi, East Lambrook and Hambridge within the deanery of Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
and Ilminster
Ilminster
Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...
.