Details
ST23SW BROOMFIELD CP
BROOMFIELD VILLAGE
6/1 Church of St. Mary and All Saints
29.3.63
GV I
Anglican Parish church. Predominantly C15 and C16, sore minor C19 work. Lias and red sandstone rubble, slate roof,
coped verges, freestone dressings. Nave with a south porch, chancel with north vestry, north aisle, west tower;
Perpendicular, embattled 2-stage tower with diagonal buttresses, gargoyles, topping stair turret; 2-light bell-chamber
windows with louvres, ringing chamber window to south with leaded lights; westdoor, 3-light westwindow. Three bay nave,
3-light pointed head windows, stepped labels; porch with Perpendicular outer doorway, traceried C19 doors. Early C16
embattled north aisle; merlons with pierced quatrefoils, 4-bays with buttresses, gargoyles, 3-light painted head
windows. Single bay chancel of early C14 origin; a priests door to south with a cusped head, blocked inside; 2-light
square-headed window with a stopped label, 3-light east window. Interior of porch benched on flag floors; remains of
stoup with a blind traceried head, inner doorway with decorated spandrels; early painted text above; C19 charity
plaques. Interior plastered on flag floors under C15 wagon roofs, ribs and bosses, pierced carved wall plates with 47
carved angels holding shields; roof to chancel renewed C18/C19. C15 tower and chancel arches, the latter quite
elaborate. C16 north aisle arcade of 4:1 bays with piers of 4-waves section, the capitals with leaf banding and on one
4 shields showing the instruments of the passion; arches with 4-centred heads. C15 octagonal font, a foiled niche to
each face, C18 tester. Virtually complete set of C16 benches, square-headed with much intricate carving, one with
carvers name:- "SIIMON WERMAN"; sole C17 linenfold panelling to aisle. On tower floor brass to Richard Silverton of
1443, a priest in mass vestments with chalice and host, head missing, inscription:- "Richard Silverton, chaplain, who
governed this church in a praiseworthy manner, to the honour of God, the Blessed Mary, and All Saints for 23 years. He
sumptuously repaired and magnificently decorated it". Medieval chest; C18 box; C18/C19 strong box; Royal Arms of Queen
Anne dated 1714. C18 choir stalls and altar rail. Slab to nave floor dated 1689, slab under tower of 1729, 5 further
C16/C17 slabs to chancel and 2 to aisle. Two late C18 wall monuments by Reeves of lath and King of lath; another early
C19 by R Long of Taunton; further monuments, 2 to chancel with Latin inscriptions. Stained glass to south chancel
window with figures of angels, canopies and medallions, fragmentary and re-set Cl5/Cl6, fragmentary heraldry of C15 to
upper lights of south nave window; some C16 glass to aisle windows. East window by Morris and Co., 1913. Pair C19
decalogue plaques under tower. Andrew Crosse (1784-1855) was one of the earliest scientists to study electrical energy
and his laboratory table on which he carried out experiments stands in the aisle. Obelisk to Andrew Crosse (1784-1855)
of nearby Fyne Court in churchyard (qv). (Church Guide; Pevsner N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset,
1958).
Listing NGR: ST2242432019
