St Catherine

C15, restored 1870-71 by Henry Hall.

Chancel largely rebuilt 1870 in C14 style: wide angled corner buttresses, plinth, eaves course

South transept probably C15, with rebuilt gable: half-height corner buttresses, eaves course

Nave at least partially rebuilt on south, north may be earlier: plinth, bay buttresses, eaves string with gargoyles, shallow plain parapet with moulded coping: C15 style traceried three-light windows set in hollowed arched recesses with square-stop labels, four on south and two on north.

North porch may be C12: large angled corner buttresses, eaves string, stepped coped gable with cross finial

doorway a two-chamfered only just pointed arch with simple string and formerly carved stops

above a C14 canopied statue niche under a relieving arch and a small C14 two-light window

inside a quadripartite vault with ridge ribs and Tudor rose boss

Tower in three stages, probably C15: offset corner buttresses two stages high with diagonal-set shafts over, no pinnacles remaining

Interior largely C19 restoration: ashlar wall facings, C19 roofs with angel corbels to trusses: chancel arch C12, three plain orders with side shafts having scalloped capitals, squint to south side: C13 transept arches with triple-shaft jambs, original mouldings to capitals on east sides, the south- east having dog-tooth ornament: transept windows have rere-arches with labels to gable windows: tower arch C15, tall, double panelled.

In chancel some recut C16 lettered panels

in nave the ornamented arch to a Norman doorway with X and lozenge decoration, fire-reddened, and one corbel to organ loft in north parvise is C12: font in lobby between porch

transept possibly C15, octagonal with panelled bowl, underbowl and shaft

this lobby has panelled link arches, probably C15.

Monuments include several in north transept, the Phelips family chapel (owners of Montacute House, q.v), with effigies of David and Ann, died 1484,

Bridget, died 1508, probably on later bases, canopied effigies of Thomas, died 1588, and Elizabeth, died 1598

on west wall garble monument to Edward, died 1690, having coupled Ionic pilasters and pediment: also in chancel small stone plaque to John House, yeoman, died 1660. chapel of St. Catherine attached to the nearby Priory of St Peter and St Paul first mentioned c1180: one of the two burned down c1207

Behind the recumbent Phelips effigies is a standing wall monument to Edward Phelips who died in 1690.

© Mike Searle