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St Lawrence, Cucklington, Somerset

Location
(51°2′56″N, 2°21′3″W)
Cucklington
ST 755 278
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Somerset
now Somerset
  • Robin Downes
12 December 2005

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Feature Sets
Description

The village of Cucklington is 3 miles E of Wincanton in the South Somerset district, close to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders. It is perched on the E side of Blackmore Vale, and the church of St Lawrence stands on the main street to the N of the village centre.

The church is of local Lias and Cary stone, cut and squared with ashlar dressings. It has a 2-bay chancel with a N chapel, and a 3-bay nave with a N aisle communicating with the chancel chapel and a 2-bay chapel on the S side. The earliest fabric is 13thc, but the tower was rebuilt in 1705 and there was a major rebuilding by G. R. Crickmay in 1880. The font is the only Romanesque feature.

History

Before the Conquest Cucklington was held by Lyfing and Sven, and it paid geld for 7 hides. In 1086, Bretel de St Clair held it from Count Robert of Mortain. In addition to the ploughland it contained 22 acres of meadow and woodland 18 furlongs by 4. After Count William of Mortain’s rebellion of 1106 the overlordship passed to the crown. Bretel de St Clair’s tenancy passed eventually to Walter of Ashley (d.1195) and to his son and namesake, also called Walter of Stoke on account of his holding of Stoke Trister as well as Cucklington (1212). Thereafter the two estates descended together.

The advowson of the church descended with the lordship of the manor until 1953, when it was transferred to the Bishop of Bath and Wells. A church was first mentioned in 1264. It was a sole rectory until 1767 when it was united with Stoke Trister. In 1980 the combined rectory was united with Charlton Musgrove.

Features

Furnishings

Fonts

Comments/Opinions

Pevsner (1958) describes the font as Norman, but the EH listing text suggests a 1705 date in a Norman style, possibly because the rim lacks signs of lock fittings. This is likely to be the result of shaving the rim (it is unusually regular).

Bibliography

English Heritage Listed Building 261698

N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset. Harmondsworth 1958, 143.

Somerset County Council, Historic Environment Record 51001.

Victoria County History: Somerset, VII (1999), 177-84.