Shepton Beauchamp Generation
On these churches, each face of the top stage bears a window panel extending down into the stage below: (including Shepton Beauchamp, around 1477; Norton Sub Hamdon, around 1485; and Hinton St George, around 1492)
| Name of church | Photograph | Listed building grade | Year tower built | Height | Location | Description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Michael's church | A !I | c. 1477 | Shepton Beauchamp 50°57′01″N 2°50′57″W / 50.950278°N 2.849167°W / 50.950278; -2.849167 (Church of St Michael, Shepton Beauchamp) |
Built of local Hamstone, and has 13th century origins, although it has been extensively changed since then, with major renovation in 1865 by George Edmund Street. It has a tall 3-stage tower with set-back buttresses ascending to the shafts of former pinnacles, set off with an embattled parapet and gargoyles. There are 2-light traceried bell-chamber windows with stone grilles, continuing as blank openings on the ringing chamber below. There are clocks with Roman numerals to the west and south faces and a higher polygonal stair-turret to the north corner. | |||
| Church of St Mary the Virgin | A !I | c. 1485 | 98.5 feet (30 m) | Norton Sub Hamdon 50°56′24″N 2°45′13″W / 50.94°N 2.753611°W / 50.94; -2.753611 (Church of St Mary the Virgin, Norton Sub Hamdon) |
Described as "An uncommonly perfect church" by Pevsner it has 13th century origins, but was largely rebuilt between 1500 and 1510. Further restoration was undertaken by Henry Wilson in 1894 and 1904. The 5-stage tower was damaged by lightning and fire on 29 July 1894, but restored within a year preserving the original design. It has a double plinth, offset corner buttresses, dividing strings, battlemented parapet with pairs of corner pinnacles extended from buttresses, and central paired pinnacles with corbelled-off gargoyles. | ||
| Church of St George | A !I | c. 1492 | Hinton St George 50°54′39″N 2°49′38″W / 50.910833°N 2.827222°W / 50.910833; -2.827222 (Church of St George, Hinton St George) |
Includes 13th century work by masons of Wells Cathedral. The vestry and north chapel of 1814 are said to be by James Wyatt, however it is more likely to be by Jeffry Wyatt, (later Sir Jeffry Wyattville). The 4-stage tower is dated to 1485-95. It is supported by full-height offset corner buttresses, and has battlemented parapets with quatrefoil panels below merlons on the corner and intermediate pinnacles. The weathervane was added in 1756 by Thomas Bagley of Bridgwater. There is a hexagonal south-east corner stair turret. Stage 2 has a small light on the north side and a statue niche on the south. All the faces on the two upper stages have 2-light, mullioned, transomed and traceried windows under pointed arched labels, with pierced stone baffles. The clockface is under the east window. During restoration work the parapet of the tower was examined and a stone was discovered with a carved date of 1731 which may suggest that the decorative parapet may have been added then. The tracery on the north side has been marked out but never cut. In general there is little sign of more than one phase of construction although repairs are evident. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Somerset Towers
Famous quotes containing the word generation:
“Women born at the turn of the century have been conditioned not to speak openly of their wedding nights. Of other nights in bed with other men they speak not at all. Today a woman having bedded with a great general feels free to tell us that in bed the general could not present arms. Women of my generation would have spared the great general the revelation of this failure.”
—Jessamyn West (1907–1984)