St Martin's Church, Fivehead Explained

Church of St Martin
Coordinates:51.0017°N -2.9228°W
Location:Fivehead, Somerset, England
Built:13th century (700+ years ago)
Designation1:Grade I Listed Building
Designation1 Date:17 April 1959
Designation1 Number:431724

The Anglican Church of St Martin in Fivehead, Somerset, England dates from the 13th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[1]

The church built of Hamstone includes a three-bay nave, chancel, south aisle and porch, and a west tower.[2]

The three-stage tower dates from around 1505.[3] It is supported by diagonal buttresses and embellished with corner pinnacles and gargoyles.[2] There are six bells the oldest of which was cast around 1500.

Within the church is a palimpsest depicting Jane Seymour.[4] There was a gallery at the back of the nave, however this was removed along with the box pews during Victorian restoration.[4] The Norman font has a cylindrical stem and bowl, which has an intricately decorated rim.[5]

Outside the church next to the village green is the War Memorial[6]

The parish is within the benefice of Curry Rivel with Fivehead and Swell which is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church of St. Martin. historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. 2009-06-06.
  2. Web site: Church of St. Martin. National Heritage List for England. Historic England. 19 September 2016.
  3. Book: Poyntz Wright, Peter. The Parish Church Towers of Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550. 1981. Avebury Publishing Company. 0-86127-502-0.
  4. Web site: St. Martin's. Fivehead. 19 September 2016.
  5. Web site: St Martin, Fivehead, Somerset. The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland. 19 September 2016.
  6. Web site: War memorial. National Heritage List for England. Historic England. 19 September 2016.
  7. Web site: St Martin, Fivehead. A Church Near You. Church of England. 19 September 2016.