The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
St Luke and St Andrew (now)
Parish church
Priston is a village 4mi SW of Bath in NE Somerset. Much of the parish has a certain remoteness which is due to the hilly, sparsely populated terrain and access being only by lanes. It will be seen from the distant view of the village that it nestles in a shallow combe: this valley is watered by Newton Brook which flows into the Avon near Twerton, just downstream from Bath. Geologically, like so many settlements in this area, Priston village lies on Lower Jurassic rock — specifically, a narrow exposure of Blue and White Lias (limestone) surrounded by the clay of Lower Lias. Much of the parish is above 100m above OD but rises to over 150m. The church itself, slightly above the village and about 200m from the very centre of it, is at an altitude of about 90m. The Grade 1 listed church of St Luke and St Andrew is made of rubble with freestone dressings, and some ashlar. It has a nave, north vestry, central tower, and chancel. The church has 12thc origins, with probably a 14thc phase, and the tower was rebuilt in the 1750s. There was a major restoration in largely neo-Norman style in 1861, which included the arches under the tower (see Comments). There is a Romanesque corbel table, south doorway and a piece of loose sculpture.