Architectural Features
early C16 with earlier origins
PLAN: cruciform plan, with extended north aisle, chapel to the north-east corner, and crossing tower: a part of a late C13 arch incorporated in the east wall of the south transept suggests that the C13 church was also of cruciform plan.
The set-back buttresses are diagonal to the tops, and the aisles have crocketed finials and gargoyles at string-course-level.
ST4309 : Gargoyles on St Bartholomew's Church, Crewkerne
The small chapel is early C16, with shallow pointed arches to a 4-light window on each side
The north transept is more elaborate and higher, a slightly pitched gable to the north side has gargoyles to the centre and sides
The north aisle has 3 large Y-traceried windows with headstops to the hoodmoulds and gargoyles in the string-course, above the points
A large transomed 8-light window is over elaborate carving round the planked and studded door which is panelled to the front
to the sides are large half-figures over crocketed finials to empty niches.
The figure to right is in poor condition, but that to the left is crowned and carries a narrow scroll.
Octagonal stair turrets with 4 slit windows each, gargoyles to each angle and doors to the north and south sides, separate the nave from the aisles, and give access to the galleries inside.
The jointing-in of the naves is clearly visible, they have 4-light transomed windows with Y-tracery, that to the north aisle has head stops and a gargoyle above, that to the south aisle has plain stops.
Elaborate gargoyles project from the tops of the buttresses.
the 3 windows to the chancel and the 2 to the south transept are without dripmoulds, and the buttresses have gargoyles without crocketed finials.
Between the buttresses at the south-east corner is a large niche with a Tudor arch and sloping stone roof
The south porch is flanked by 6-light, Y-traceried windows with head stops to the dripmoulds and gargoyles above.
The buttresses are similar to the others with gargoyles but no finials.
to the south-east corner, a hexagonal stair turret, slightly taller than the tower, and a door below 6 slit stair-windows facing south-east, has gargoyles and crocketed finials to each angle.
INTERIOR: the chancel is mostly late C19: the roof was raised and trusses rest on large figure corbels
C19 stained glass in 5-light east window, above a 1903 reredos which is flanked by blocked entrances to a former chantry.
The spandrels to the left door have carved boars in them, those to the right door have angels.
NORTH-EAST CHAPEL, which is a continuation of the north aisle, has a C15, slightly pitched, richly panelled ceiling
Plain glass to the windows with a 1950 inset to the east.
Small CHAPEL in the angle of the north-east chapel and the north transept: ceiling, dated 1867, a copy of that in the north transept, and the Merefield memorial, are described later.
North aisle: almost as wide as the nave, with a C15 panelled ceiling, the main rafters of which are supported on the capitals to colonnettes extending to the floor.
full figure corbels support main rafters.
A C13 blocked window, high to the top-left of the east end, in the tower, below a trefoil-headed squint with a flat arch and pierced spandrels and the massive crossing piers indicate that this is a survival of an earlier church.
The 7-light west window has C20 stained glass above a door which is rough, diagonally planked-and-studded to the back, and panelled to the front.
The south aisle has a similar ceiling to that of the north aisle with C19 stained glass and gallery to the west end, and a similar frame to that on the north aisle which contains a painting of the royal arms.
The Merefield family memorial in the small north-east chapel, is notable
2 large marble panels inscribed with the names of the members of the family from 1666 onwards, are separated by a colonnette and flanked by plain round columns on strapwork plinths, with Corinthian-style caps and cornices below an entablature richly decorated with fluting, egg-and-dart, bead-and-reel, and dentilled below a cyma moulded cornice