St Mary's Church, Bishops Lydeard

The Church of St Mary in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England, dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.^[1]

Church of St Mary
Location within Somerset
General information
Town or city	Bishops Lydeard
Country	England
Coordinates	51.0614°N 3.1872°W / 51.0614; -3.1872
Completed	14th century

In 1860–62 the church was extended by one bay and a vestry, by Edward Jeboult of Taunton, added.

The tower, which was built around 1497,^[2] has pierced tracery battlements, pinnacles, set back buttresses terminating in pinnacles at the bell-storey, and pinnacles on the buttresses at each stage.^[1] On the stonework are hunky punks which have been severely damaged by the weather, however one appears to represent a Sea serpent.^[3]

Between 2010 and 2011, an eleven-month restoration programme, focussing on the tower and costing £240,000, was undertaken by Sally Strachey Historic Conservation, under the supervision of Smith Gamblin Architects.^[4]

Several of the tombs in the churchyard are of historical importance, as are two crosses, one dating from the 14th century,^[5] the other being the town's market cross which was moved to the churchyard in the 19th century.^[6][7]

See also

• List of Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane
• List of towers in Somerset
• List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells