St Mary's church, Wedmore Somerset. Mucker Movies скачать в хорошем качестве

St Mary's church, Wedmore Somerset. Mucker Movies

St Mary's church, Wedmore, is mainly C15. Perpendicular, with some surviving C13 features and C19 restoration. In normal use. There is a C14/15 piscina in the S wall of the chancel, a C15 one in the N chancel chapel, a C15 one in the window in the S chapel and a C15 one in the E wall of the S chapel. Graveyard in use since at least medieval times. A C15 cross in the churchyard once stood near the W porch, but was removed to its present site c1827. The tall head however is of later date (?C17). Many details of the church are strikingly similar to features at Wells cathedral - a reminder of the close links between Wedmore and Wells. Between the late 1300s and early 1500s the church was almost totally rebuilt in Perpendicular style. Chancel and nave were lengthened, and the upper part of the tower rebuilt. Aisles, a guild chapel and a porch were added to the nave, and two more chapels at the east end. A vestry built on the southeast corner in 1828, was removed during the extensive restoratation of 1880-81. The outside walls, built of local Wedmore stone, were formerly rendered. The oldest part of the church, probably early 1200s, is the lower section of the central tower. In the south transept high in the southwest angle with the tower, are the remains of a primitive arch now blocked. This may be very early, possibly even dating back to the Saxon church of the 1000s. The chancel lies beyond the tower crossing. It was lengthened in the 1400s. High on the walls traces of pre 1200 English Lancet windows can be seen. In the north wall are the remains of a steep flight of steps discovered in 1880-81, above them against the east face of the tower is a blocked doorway. This suggests the presence of a rood beam or screen east of the tower. At the Vestry (Chapel of St Anne) services were said three times a week for the souls of Dean Cosyn and his sucessors. It has a handsome carved roof. The Lady Chapel on the south side of the Chancel is another 1400s chapel. The stone altar is medieval on 19th century legs. It was found in 1880 buried under the Chancel floor. The Nave contains many carved corbels, some of which may have been reused from the earlier church. The font originally stood inside the west door. The octagonal bowl may be earlier than the 1400s stem. The guild chapel was the last addition to the church in 1449. The small door leading into the chapel was sealed up in 1547 and reopened in 1880-81. A small stone effigy of an unknown young girl (c.1400s) was found buried under the chapel floor in 1880-81. carving has been crudely hacked away where the stone has been reset as a corbel. Both foliage carvings can be very closely matched with the blue Lias capitals on the upper part of the Chapter House stairs and in the Chapter House entry at Wells, which were built c.1270-1290. Not only do these reused fragments of the previous Wedmore church reinforce the close connection between Wedmore and Wells in the 13th century, but they also serve to suggest definite dates at both the beginning and the end of the 1200s when Wedmore church was being improved to the highest standards. It is strongly suspected that Wedmore had a church by the late 9th century, since this was the place where the chrism was loosened for Guthrum in 878. This was a religious ceremony, and so probably took place in a church. There are blue lias shafts to the inner S door which are contemporary with the middle part of the nave at Wells cathedral