The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
St Christopher (now)
Parish church
The manorial village of Lympsham lies on the Somerset Levels (Middle Lias), six miles equidistant from Axbridge and Weston-super-Mare. In geological terms it is about half way between Brent Knoll (Upper Lias) and the W extension of the Mendip Hills at Bleadon (Carboniferous Limestone). Bleadon and Brent Knoll are about 2mi N and S respectively. The Bristol Channel lies about 2.5mi W at Berrow. The important Axe river runs to the N, just S of Bleadon.
The church is mainly 15thc with much 19thc restoration by the Rev. A. J. Stephenson (rector and lord of the manor) in the 1820s to 1840s, and his son Prebendary J. H. Stephenson (died c.1900). There is however a reset 11thc stone Crucifix and also a Romanesque tub font.
Parish church
The church has an early Norman nave, including a surviving, small window in the south wall and the south door. The chancel dates from the 13th century and the south porch from the 14th century. The building was restored in 1860 by EW Godwin. In addition to the south doorway, the font also probably dates from the early 12th century.
Parish church
Only the chancel arch, the possibly reset S door and reused fragments of the N door survive from the 12thc church. The chancel is 13thc, with a 15thc nave, a N aisle of c.1854, a 17thc S porch and a 15thc W tower, all extensively rebuilt.