MSO11449 - All Saints Church and Churchyard, Monksilver (Building)

All Saint's church is supposed to have been burnt in the 15th Century and contains some early Perpendicular work of the reign of Henry VIII. [1] The north side of the chancel contains a small Norman window and the two-light W window is of the Decorated period. [2] In normal use. [3] The 12th Century window predates the first reference to the church of 1291. The church was so dedicated by 1449. The north wall of the chancel and possibly of the nave are 12th Century. The south chapel was the one probably dedicated to St Giles in 1530. [4] Graveyard in use since at least medieval times. [5] A plaque commemorates three members of the parish who died in WWI. The plaque accompanies an oak framed print of the 'Great Sacrifice', a fallen soldier lying on the battlefield at the foot of Christ Crucified. The memorial was paid for by public sponsorship. [6] Parish church. Some C12 work, C14 tower, C15 stair turret to tower, porch reconstructed, chancel widened, nave rebuilt, South aisle and chapel added, church restored 1843-63 when tower crenellated. Red sandstone random rubble, South aisle and lower stair turret squared and coursed, slate roof, decorative ridge tiles, coped verges. Plan: West tower, 4 bay nave, South aisle with South porch included, chancel and South chapel. 3 stage crenellated tower, diagonal buttresses to second stage, single light louvred bell openings, 2-light Decorated West window, hexagonal stair turret on South side rising to second stage only with 4-centred arch doorway. Porch incorporated into crenellated South aisle, merlons pierced with quartrefoil heads, crocketed pinnacles and amusing collection of gargoyles, diagonal buttresses, crocketed niche containing C20 statue above arched entrance to porch, 3-light trefoil headed window lighting South aisle, 4 panel moulded compartment ceiling, 4 centred arch doorway, medieval door with contemporary iron work restored in C19, collection of bench ends in porch. Four 3-light Perpendicular windows South front with crenellated roof, stair turret with unglazed quatrefoil opening between third and fourth bays right, another 3-light window on return, 3-light C19 window to chancel, Norman lancet on North wall of chancel, rood loft stair projection in angle with nave, two 4-light windows North front with blocked 4-centred arch doorway. Interior: whitewashed. Nave moulded ribbed plastered wagon roof with bosses and wall plate, chancel C19 arch braced roof, South aisle C16 moulded compartment ceiling. Circular unmoulded tower arch, chancel set out of line with moulded arch to nave. Standard Perpendicular arcade with polygonal capitals. Corbelled support for statue on East wall of South aisle carved with defaced angel with scroll. Unidentified tomb-chest in arched niche in chancel, crocketed pinnacles and no effigy. Trefoil headed piscina opposite. 5 and a half bay C17 imported screen, restored C19. Very fine imported Jacobean pulpit with lectern, some C16 bench ends. Poor box dated 1634. C15 font. A fine South aisle with some of the most entertaining gargoyles in the county; good collection of fittings. (Photographs in NMR; VCH Somerset, Vol 5, forthcoming; Pevsner, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958). [7] The building was visited in June 2013 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [8]