St Mary Major

Welsh slate roofs between coped gables, ornamental clay tile ridges to nave and side aisle, plain clay tiles over stone slate base courses to chancel

Chancel C13, possibly earlier

south side has a C19 buttress, a three-light flat arched hollow recessed window, and to right a simple doorway dated 1672, which may be date of all side chancel windows

to north two similar windows, one of three-lights, the other five-light with a four-centred sub arch with quatrefoil tracery and foliage carved spandrils.

North chapel has angled corner buttresses, and one to north wall, which has simple C17 and C18 doorway and a five-light window in shallower recess with uncarved spandrils

in east wall a three-light window in a four-centred arched hollowed recess, which may be C15, and could represent the re-use of a nave window, as two similar windows exist in north wall of nave, divided by a buttress.

Tower of three stages, possibly C13 throughout: corner buttresses to low first stage, which is broached at head, forming octagonal tower to upper stages

Inside, the porch in the under-tower space has moulded rib and panel ceiling, possibly C15, and stairs in north-east angle

in south wall are set two C13/C14 fragments of memorial crosses.

chancel arch probably C13, with squint on north side.

Nave has C19 roof, unplastered walls, and a C13-style colonnade based relic in churchyard (q.v),

C15 panelled arch into the side chapel

Fitting include fragments of C17 dado panelling and a C17 chair in chancel

a fine octagonal timber pulpit which could be very late C16 rather than Jacobean, although the panel arches are treated in perspective

Fragments of medieval stained glass in chapel.

Memorials include alabaster and lias stone tablet to Mary Raymond, died 1639

and tablet to William Raymond, died 1625, by the pulpit.

Traces of C13 wall painting on nave north wall.

The major of two surviving churches in the town, which had at least eight in medieval times, it was in the patronage of Muchelney Abbey until 1239, apparently the first record.