A Short Guide TO ENGLISHCOMBE PARISH CHURCH with some notes on its history and of that of the Manor LIST OF VICARS OF ENGLISHCOMBE 1112(Circa) RALPH de LlCHEFEL 1792 JOHN BATCHELLOR 1220 ROBERT .... 1808 DAVID HUGHES, M.A. 1315 WILL DE STABLER 1838 C. RADFORD, B.A. 1345 WILL DE AXBRIGGE 1867 C. LLOYD, B.A. - JOHN BIGG 1876 J. SMART, M.A. 1416 RIC. PA VY 1881 L. T. PENNINGTON 1428 THO. WODE 1882 J. M. VAUGHAN 1429 THO. GALL 1882 F. D. DYMOCK, M.A. 1431 HEN. WYSE 1904 H. J. LEWIS, M.A. 1457 RIC. YOUNG 1911 G. H. LAWRENCE, M.A. 1480 JOHN CLYFTON 1916 C. M. BECKER, M.A. 1493 WILL REGILERNE 1919 G. E. HILLYARD - WILL SHEREWOOD 1922 PRYCE DAVIES, A.K.C. 1541 THO. BEYE 1928 W. T. QUINN 1559 JOHN GOLLEY 1936 E. J. ROWE 1576 EDW. VAUGHAN 1947 J C FORD MA 1588 WILL CLEMENT 1950 R L DEWE 1589 THO. THACKAM 1952 A L WALKER MA 1592 WALT. MASON, A.B. 1955 A F BELL 1662 RIC. MASTERS, A.M. 1962 J C CUNNINGHAM 1678 THO. HALL 1963 J S BARKER BA 1679 ALEX. RANDOLPH, A.B. 1970 R P A LANKESTER BA 1687 WILL. KEAT, A.B. 1974 J JOHNSON MA 1693 HUGO DAVIS 1976 M S LOWE MA AKC 1714 BENJ. WILDING, A.M. 1980 A J RADFORD 1722 SAM CATHERAL, A.M. 1986 T R BONIWELL AKC 1764 J. JOHNSON, B.L. 1996 R ATTLEY BA 1766 JOHN MARTIN, B.A. 2001 D J BURLEIGH 1786 ROB PlTCAIRN, B.A. 2 FOREWORD THIS is now the third edition of Englishcombe Church history to be printed in just over ten years, the first having gone to the press in May, 1937, and the second in May, 1939. Two thousand five hundred copies have been sold and additional material has been added to each of the later publications. The war put a stop to the restoration of the church and many plans have not materialised, but all who are interested in the building will be - glad to know that it has escaped damage, as far as can be seen, and that all the new windows put in in June, 1940, have survived safe and sound. In order that the many visitors who come here may be assisted to notice objects of interest, this edition of the church history begins with an outline of the principal features. This outline will repay careful study, and enable the readers better to enjoy the subsequent pages at their leisure. E. J. ROWE, August,1947. Vicar. Sixty years after the third edition referred to above, the advantage has been taken of scanning and character recognition technology to produce a further reprint of this booklet and to make it available over the internet as well as on paper. At the same time, the list of vicars opposite has been brought up to date and a final section added to refer to some more recent developments. Apart from these additions, the text of the booklet is unchanged. December, 2007 3 Interior of Englishcombe Church, 1947 OUTLINE OF OBJECTS OF INTEREST Porch On the right as you enter, hagiascope or squint giving view of side chapel altar. Notice the little Palmer's or Votive Crosses said to have been cut by pilgrims. Over the door is a niche which once held the figure of the Patron Saint - now unknown. Below the niche is a scratch dial or Mass clock, i.e. a simple sundial marking hours of services. It is a very early example. To the right of the door may be seen the remains of a Holy Water stoup. Nave Five War Memorial flags presented by the Services, as recorded below each flag. Royal Arms hung in the coronation year of King George VI and symbolising the fact that the King is the Defender of the Faith. 4 Scratch Dial built into the western pier of the chapel arch, facing north, 7 ft. 10 ins. from the floor. This dial is upside down. Tower Observe that the tower was originally square and extended westwards to the masonry projections near the pulpit. Norman arcading on north wall under tower. Devil's head on north-east capital, in perfect state of preservation. A mutilated example can be seen on central capital of the arcading. Figure of a priest, badly damaged, date c. 1300, at the foot of the arcading. Oak chest, seventeenth century, for altar linen. Chancel Bambino above chancel arch facing altar. Origin unknown, but a strong local tradition states that it has long been held in reverence. Heraldic Reredos showing the arms of the Patrons of the living from 1112 (1938). Heraldic Glass: north window, Bath Abbey; south window, the Priory of Bermondsey (1940). Piscina, perfect condition, fourteenth century. Chapel Carvings of the emblems of the Crucifixion in the soffit of the window. Piscina, mutilated, fourteenth century. Norman Font and fourteenth century oak cover. Three shields, above the altar, of benefactors (1938). Georgian pewter Communion set of five pieces. Heraldic glass of de Gournay shield (1940). Outside the Church Norman eaves course of grotesque heads under chancel roof. Consecration Crosses measuring 1½ inches can be seen on the buttresses at both the east and the west end. Scratch dial on the buttress of the chapel nearest the ,entrance door, 6 ft. 2½ ins. from the ground. Clerestory Window Fragments of fifteenth century glass, representing the four Evangelists. 5 ENGLISHC0MBE CHURCH The church stands at the western end of the village at a height of 245 feet above sea level, as shown by an Ordnance bench mark on the south wall. It is simple but of good proportions and consists of a Chancel, Nave, central Tower, and a Chapel on the south side. Exterior The upper portions of the Tower, and the whole of the Porch are the most modern parts of the building. Five Consecration Crosses are to be seen. They are of early date and measure 1½ inches; two are incised on the north-east and one on the south-east buttress of the chancel and one on each of the south and central buttresses at the west end of the nave. These crosses were cut at the points where the Bishop sprinkled the walls with holy water during the elaborate ceremony that attended the consecration of the building. Abbot Horne states that he knows only five other churches in Somerset which retain these crosses. The grotesque heads carved on the eaves-course of the chancel are Norman, and so are the stones with pellet moulding which are set upside down in the base of the wall below the east window. The parapet and window of the chapel, the north wall, and also the north and west windows of the nave are Perpendicular. Porch The Porch is recent and poor. Above the Norman arch of the south door is a niche which once held the figure of the Saint to whom the church is dedicated. Although now unknown, it is conjectured that the dedication is to St. Peter. The reason for this will be explained later. Remains of a Holy Water Stoup may be seen to the right of the door. Several Palmer's Crosses are cut on the stonework of the little window to the right. Interior The original parts of the church are Norman and date from the end of the eleventh century. There are Decorated and Perpendicular additions. It is fortunate that the work of these periods is of fine quality and little spoilt by restorations such as have destroyed most features of interest in so many village churches. 6 Note-This plan is taken too low to show the west window and the clerestory window 7 On entering the nave, the visitor will notice the apparent inclination of the chancel to the north. Careful measurements have destroyed attractive theories on this point, and have proved that the inclination is an optical effect produced by the centre of the east arch of the tower being set south of the central line about which the nave and chancel are symmetrical. Tower The Norman Tower has been partially rebuilt, doubtless on account of the collapse, or threatened collapse of the original rounded arches - an occurrence not unusual to Norman towers. The plan of the present tower is a rectangle with its longer sides at the east and west. The original tower was square and extended to the masonry projections near the pulpit. Norman arcading can be seen passing through the west wall of the tower, showing that the western Norman pillars must have been moved eastwards and the west wall of the tower with its pointed arch erected upon them. This wall is carried obliquely across the church, and in order to make the upper, and visible, part of the tower a true rectangle, the direction of the masonry was changed at the level of the medieval roof-line. This change of direction is clearly seen from the floor. The arches are similar in form, but that at the west is lighter as it supports a lighter wall; and although it is Early English in style, it is probable that it was constructed long after that period. The east wall, if not largely Norman, is of the original thickness. The north wall is Norman and its fine arcading is the chief architectural feature of the church. The upper part of the tower contains many fragments of carved stone of the Norman period. The lintel of the north window of the bell chamber is made from an ancient stone coffin lid.