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St Andrew, Withypool, Somerset

Location
(51°6′28″N, 3°38′59″W)
Withypool
SS 846 356
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Somerset
now Somerset
  • Robin Downes
06 July 2004

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Feature Sets
Description

Withypool is a remotely placed village on Exmoor, on the river Barle, 10 miles SW of Minehead. Village clusters around a junction of minor roads at the river crossing, with the church at the centre. St Andrew’s is a late-medieval building consisting of a chancel, a three-bay nave with a N aisle and a S porch. The W tower was rebuilt in the early 17thc. The church is constructed of random rubble from a local source and was restored and refitted in 1887 and restored again, and the tower rebuilt, in 1902. The only Romanesque feature is a font carved with scallops and chevron ornament.

History

Withypool was held by Robert d’Auberville in 1086, and by 3 foresters before the Conquest. It was assessed at just half a hide.

Features

Furnishings

Fonts

Comments/Opinions

The editor notes the similarity of this font to those of the Aylesbury Group, and thus suggests a date after c.1170 without suggesting any connection at the level of production whatsoever. More locally, the plainer font at Mapperton (Dorset) has scallops on the bowl.

Bibliography

EH, English Heritage Listed Building 265578.

Exmoor National Park HER, ENPHER Monument Number MSO8668.

N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset, Harmondsworth 1958, 350.