St Martin's Church, Kingsbury Episcopi

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.[1]

Church of St Martin
Yellow stone building with square tower.
LocationKingsbury Episcopi, Somerset, England
Coordinates50°59′08″N 2°48′10″W
Built14th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated17 April 1959[1]
Reference no.264374
St Martin's Church, Kingsbury Episcopi is located in Somerset
St Martin's Church, Kingsbury Episcopi
Location of Church of St Martin in Somerset

The church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, stands on the site of an earlier Saxon church of which no trace remains[2] and boasts an ornate Somerset Tower, 99 feet (30 m) tall, made of stone from nearby Ham Hill. There is a four-bay aisled 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.[3] Poyntz Wright suggests the 100 feet (30 m) high[4] west tower was built in 1515.[5]

The four-stage tower is supported by buttresses and has bands of blank quatrefoils, and is surmounted by battlements with pinnacles.[6]

The church was renovated between 1845 and 1849.[2]

The parish is part of the benefice of Kingsbury Episcopi, East Lambrook and Hambridge within the deanery of Crewkerne and Ilminster.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St Martin". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  2. "St Martin's, Kingsbury Episcopi". Church of England. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  3. Pevsner, Nikolaus (1958). The buildings of England, South and West Somerset. Penguin Books (Reprinted by Yale Univ Press, 2003).
  4. "Huish Episcopi cum Langport". Langport Area Team Ministry. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  5. Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981). The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350–1550. Avebury Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86127-502-0.
  6. "Kingsbury Episcopi, St. Martin". English church architecture. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
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