Cothelstone is a small village five miles NW of Taunton, consisting of the church, the manor farm and a few dwellings built along a lane off the road running N out of Bishops Lydeard. The church is of red sandstone with limestone & hamstone dressings, and has a 2-bay nave with a S aisle & porch, a chancel with a N vestry and a W tower. It is chiefly 15thc, and was restored c.1864, but the S arcade incorporates a 12thc pier and a corbel of c.1200.

Cothelstone is not noted under that name in the Domesday Survey. It is in the hundred of Taunton and Taunton Deane, which anciently belonged to the bishops of Winchester. By 1189 it was held by Geoffrey of Staywell (identified with Geoffrey of Cothelstone) and it apparently stayed in this family until the 17thc.

The W respond corbel is probably early 13thc rather than 12thc.