Nominal: 966 Hz Weight: 784 lbs Diameter: 33.5" Bell 1 of 4
Founded by Thomas II Pennington 1626
Dove Bell ID: 3695 Tower ID: 17437 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Kilton: St Nicholas
Overview
Grid reference: ST 165 441
A small Gothic church set back from a narrow winding road leading from the A39 Minehead-Bridgwater road to the hamlet of Kilton and beyond to the sea through rolling countryside, which affords only brief glimpses of its tower over the hedgerows. The church was rebuilt in 1861-4 by J Norton, who was very prolific in the area. It is a compact and simple building, well-proportioned.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3-bay aisleless nave, west tower, 2-bay chancel, south porch and north-east vestry and boiler house.
Dimensions:
Nave and chancel 13m (40 feet) x 6m (18.5 feet).
Footprint of Church buildings: 228 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was rebuilt in 1861-4 by J Norton, who was very prolific in the area (at nearby West Quantoxhead he built the church, school and mansion). Many of the churches in the area were restored about this time, and as with many of these this was a quite radical restoration of this ancient church, which probably existed by the end of the 11th century, when the tithes were granted to Bath Abbey. The church was dedicated to St Nicholas in 1533.
The tower, font and chancel arch are the most obvious survivals from the medieval church, though the church in plan and dimensions looks 14th-century. The chancel lancets are Norton’s, but the nave and tower fenestration is of the 14th and late 15th or early 16th century. The building is virtually unchanged since the restoration, indeed it has preserved its Victorian interior and atmosphere, including wall texts and lighting (no electricity). The only major additions are a corrugated iron shed in the north angle of tower and nave and an unsightly boiler house coming off the vestry. The heating system is now defunct. A vertical repair scar in the nave north wall may indicate the removal of a flue or similar here.
Exterior Description
The tower is of coursed squared and dressed local rose-coloured Doulting limestone, the rest of the church randomly coursed rubble with a bright pink mortar. Ham stone dressings. Tiled oak roofs, stone coping.
The church is a compact and simple building, well-proportioned and pleasing to the eye. Almost every period of the history of the church is represented in the architectural detailing. It would seem likely that Norton attempted an “archaeological” reconstruction of the church, and the initial impression gained from the view from the east of a totally Victorian church (Pevsner dismisses it with the words “1862 by J Norton incorporating Perp bits”) is reassessed as one progresses around it.
The west tower is the dominating feature, of three stages of which the lower two would appear to be substantially late medieval, topped with a Victorian crenellated parapet and brass weathercock rising from a short pyramidical roof. Dragon water-spouts at the corners, rather fine. The belfry stage has two-light Perpendicular openings with pierced stone screens in the main lights, a common motif in Somerset.
There is a two-light Perpendicular window with cusping in the lower stage of the west wall, and a slit light above in each face. Slim diagonal buttresses of four weatherings climb to halfway up the belfry stage. At the south-east corner a stair turret with the appearance of a thick buttress of one steep weathering rises to string-course level (the listing description erroneously makes two separate features out of this). It is of two stages, each with a slit light, and in its west wall a pointed doorway which does not look as if it was restored. The tower has a chamfered plinth.
The nave and chancel would appear to have been substantially rebuilt in 1862, but there are features which indicate that the details were retained, even if most of the stonework and tracery were renewed. The north wall of the nave has three windows separated by buttresses of two weatherings, the western two of two-lights with a quatrefoil in the head, 14th-century in style and with simple hood-moulds. The easternmost is a tall round-headed window with continuous mouldings set rather low in the wall, the only such example in the church. It is rather odd in terms of its dimensions and detail, possibly a Victorian replacement for an early Norman window, or more likely an early 18th-century window contemporary with the porch (see below).
The south wall opposite has a Perpendicular two-light with divided upper lights (the middle bay is taken up by the porch), the western bay has a three-light window with panel tracery squashed next to the porch, both with hood-moulds. These irregularities in the nave fenestration would seem to indicate that this has been taken over from the medieval church. The porch is small, gabled, the outer doorway very wide with a rounded head and continuous mouldings (early 18th-century?) and a plain hood-mould, the inner similar but plain with no chamfer. There is a sundial mounted over the outer doorway, much eroded, inscribed “ROBART GOVATT CW 1707”.
The chancel fenestration was clearly replaced in 1862, and consists of pointed lancets. The east window is a stepped triple lancet with a continuous hood-mould. The south wall has a paired lancet window to the west of the priest’s doorway, this pointed with a continuous chamfer. East of this is a single lancet. Single lancets in the north wall flank the handsome vestry, which has a steep gable surmounted by a tall chimney. The north wall has a two-light window with shouldered heads, the view of these partly blocked by an ugly brick boiler house added in front.
Interior
Interior Description
The porch has stone benches, on which are the broken remains of a roof finial (these are now all missing from all the gables). The first thing that strikes one is the gloom, as there is no artificial lighting in the church. The walls are whitewashed (flaking away in places) which offsets this somewhat, and picked out in black and red Gothic lettering are the following Victorian texts:
Over the internal doorway, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God”, on the other side (seen as you leave) “Go and sin no more”. Over the tower arch, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord”. Over the chancel window (somewhat faded),“I am the Bread of Life”. Over the chancel arch, “Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy and I will give you rest”. Over the vestry doorway, “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness”. There is a painted dado in red with fleur-de-lys.
A plain wooden screen with a carved cornice has been inserted across the tower arch to the height of the springing, enclosing a small room now used for storage in the tower space behind. The arch itself is probably 14th-century, like the chancel arch tall and worked with a hollow chamfer. The nave is fully pewed, the furniture all of c 1862 and of oak. The floors throughout are of quarry tiles set in geometric patterns. The barrel nave roof with collar and king-posts would appear to be in style and at least partly in substance late medieval, including carved bosses and a brattished wall-plate. The lighting is still provided by the iron and brass Victorian lamps.
The chancel is Victorian in style and substance once one is beyond the 14th-century chancel arch itself, which is steeply pointed and worked with a hollow chamfer, slightly disjointed near the apex. There is a Victorian oak chancel screen in late Perpendicular style, with three bays of open arcading each side of a wide central entrance with depressed arched head. One step leads up to the chancel and two more to the sanctuary. A corona lucis with candles provides lighting. The roof is a simple barrel construction, c 1862.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Oak table
Pulpit
Oak pulpit with miniature buttresses dividing the panels and a carved cornice, with some medieval woodwork apparently incorporated, though it was not immediately obvious where – probably the moulded base.
Lectern
Wooden reading stand
Font (component)
15th Century Limestone octagonal font, probably of the late 15th century, the bowl carved with pointed quatrefoils within panels supported by angels rising from the stem, which is panelled and decorated with flowers. Stone step, original. The remnants of the medieval paint scheme are still visible in the panels, mainly red and black. Plain wooden lid.
Stained Glass (window)
There is stained glass with geometric patterns in the chancel windows, otherwise clear glass throughout, all with diagonal leading.
Organ (component)
19th Century Small harmonium with an elaborate architectural case, now disembowelled and housing an electronic organ. The original barrel organ was bought in 1862 from the at that time local firm Bishop’s (now in London), the repair of which was grant-aided by the CCC in 1978. It was transferred to St Audries, West Quantoxhead in 1980.
Plaque (object)
20th Century Brass plaque in memory of Samuel Hunter Shedden, vicar 1871-1947 and Prebendary of Wells Cathedral, died 10th November 1949. Brass plaque above the harmonium in memory of Dorothy Ethel Shepherd, churchwarden and organist 1908-80. Brass plaque commemorating Clifford Burge, 1st King’s Rifles, killed in action in France March 27th 1916 aged 25 years.
Bells
Weight: 336 lbs Diameter: 24" Bell 2 of 4
Founded by Bristol foundry
Dove Bell ID: 48534 Tower ID: 17437 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Weight: 448 lbs Diameter: 26.5" Bell 3 of 4
Founded by Thomas Bayley 1745
Dove Bell ID: 48535 Tower ID: 17437 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Weight: 616 lbs Diameter: 30.25" Bell 4 of 4
Founded by William III Purdue 1657
Dove Bell ID: 48536 Tower ID: 17437 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: ST 165 441
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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