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St Andrew, High Ham, Somerset

Location
(51°4′34″N, 2°49′19″W)
High Ham
ST 425 311
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Somerset
now Somerset
medieval St Andrew
now St Andrew
  • Robin Downes
10 November 2005

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Feature Sets
Description

High Ham is a village in the South Somerset district of the county, 6 miles SW of Glastonbury and 2½ miles N of Langport. The church is in the centre of the village. It consists of a 3-bay chancel, a 5-bay nave with aisles and a S porch, and a W tower. Most of this belongs to a rebuilding of 1476, although there is some earlier work in the tower. Construction is of local lias, cut and squared, with hamstone dressings. The only Romanesque feature recorded here is the font.

History

High and Low Ham were held by the Abbey of Glastonbury before and after the Conquest. They were assessed at 17 hides, of which 5 hides and 2½ virgates were in demesne in 1086. Of the remainder, Robert (de Obdurville) held 1 hide and 1 virgate from the abbot in 1086, Serlo (de Burcy) held 5 hides and Gerard (the Ditcher) 3 virgates. For the rest there were 22 villans and 21 bordars. In 1066 the land was held by three thegns: Leofric, Alweald and Almaer from the church of Glastonbury.

The manor was held by Glastonbury Abbey (who also held the advowson of the church) until the Dissolution. There was a church at High Ham in 1168 (Glastonbury Great Chartulary).

Features

Furnishings

Fonts

Comments/Opinions

Orbach (2014), VCH and the List Description describe the font as 12thc, and it could therefore have been made for the church that was on the site in 1168.

Bibliography

Victoria County History:Somerset, VIII (2004), 70-91.

Historic England Listed Buildiong 263091

J. Orbach and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset. New Haven and London 2014, 356-57.

N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset. Harmondsworth 1958, 195.

The Great Chartulary of Glastonbury, Somerset Record Society Publications, LIX (1947), 129.