Church of St Andrew Brympton, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ST5115 BRYMPTON D'EVERCY CP 10/17 Church of St. Andrew 19.4.61 GV I Anglican parish church. C13 et seq., minimal C19/C20 restoration. Has stone ashlar; stone slate roof between stepped coped gables, north-east chapel sheet lead behind parapets. Cruciform plan with south porch, north-east chapel and west bell turret. Chancel visible on east and south sides; east wall has chamfered plinth, angled corner buttresses; 3-light C14 style traceried window without label; to south two 2-light windows to match, with simple pointed-arched doorway between. North-east chapel, 2 bays, as long as chancel; double plinth, angled corner and bay buttresses, eaves course and battlemented parapet extended over north transept; 3-light C15 traceried windows in hollow-chamfer recesses with square-stop labels. North transept earlier, no plinth or buttresses; one 3-light early reticulated traceried window in both west and north walls both with labels; in north wall east of window a cambered-arched doorway in rectangular recess under hoodmould. South transept has paired corner buttresses, one with scratch dial; south window 3-light Geometric tracery with label, east window 2-light to match; plain cambered-arched doorway in rectangular recess, under hoodmould, in east wall; to west a 3-light 'Y'-traceried window without label. Nave has angled corner buttresses; in south wall a 2-light flat arch cusped window without label, possibly late C13, and matching window in north wall; west window 3-light C15 traceried, with square-stop label, and above the bell-cote, much copied: added c1553-56, square on plan, moulded corbel base all sides, cuboid unit over with 2 plain pointed arches each face, pyramidal stone slate roof with cross finial and corner finials, containing 2 bells. Shallow south porch, gabled with segmental outer arch, possibly added by E. Apsey 1768, incised lettering on jamb; trefoil-arched inner doorway, c1300, with C19 door. Interior full of interest. Chancel has C19 panelled ceiling, unplastered walls; slight rere-arches to each window, ogee-arched piscina in south-east corner; C15 4-centred arch into north-east chapel, no arch into nave but stone screen, earlier C15 with wide centre arch and 4 small arches each side, Dorset pattern with carved spandrils each side, cornice with bosses to west, hinge pins for central doors, stone seats both sides. Chapel plastered; C15 moulded rib and panel ceiling with bosses; 2 canopied statue niches in east wall and C15 piscina in south-east corner; low almost triangular arch into north transept, which has similar roof but of earlier detail, also a cusped triangular arched opening into chapel, and cinquefoil cusped piscina and a small fireplace. South transept unplastered, C19 roof; simple rere-arches to side windows, rere-arch with side shafts to south window. Nave has C19 roof, unplastered walls, segmental rere-arches to side windows. Many fittings C19, but altar-rail has turned C17 wood balusters; pulpit early C17 octagonal panelled, in timber; north transept font early C14, octagonal with corner shafts and cinquefoil cusped panels of early detail; lectern probably C18, with barley-sugar twist balusters, to lower half and 4 to upper, carrying bookrest; C17 chest in south transept. Fine canopied tomb between chancel and chapel, 4 columns, open tomb- chest with scattered bones, commemorates John Sydenhan died 1626; in chapel effigies of a knight, c1275, and a lady, unusually large, of cl440 in north transept, under wall canopies; a lady, cl325 with trefoil-cusped canopy and priest, died 1348-49, with septfoil cusped canopy, and in spandrils scenes of the Annunciation and the Adoration of the Magi; many wall plaques and brasses. Four brass chandeliers, probably C18 Dutch. Fragments of medieval glass in several windows, notably west nave and chapel windows, (Pevsner, N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958; Country Life, 26th November 1907, and 7th May 1927).

Listing NGR: ST519251538