St Andrew's Church
St Andrew's Church
Since its consecration by Bishop Jocelin on 11th July 1215, St Andrew's has been a place of worship and of witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
St Andrew's was built in the Early English style of the thirteenth century, but was extensively altered and enlarged in the fifteenth century. Its appearance today belongs largely to the Perpendicular style of this later period.
A particular feature is the wide variety of fine stone corbels (projections) supporting roof timbers and mouldings around arches. The overall style and appearance of St Andrew's can best be appreciated by facing eastward from near the centre of the Nave.
Nave
On the North side are the graceful pillars of the North aisle. They are in Early English style, with small shafts clustered around a central core. The arches are probably fourteenth century work. The corbels under the mouldings of these arches - from the West end of the Nave they depict two peasants, a lady and a knight
The arches of the South aisle also date from the fourteenth century. Of the original thirteenth century shafts supporting the South pillars only the bases remain. The purely decorative Purbeck marble shafts were added in 1856. They mimic the Early English style and so complement the North pillars opposite.
The Chancel Arch above the Screen is much lower than the Nave. The Wagon-roof of the Nave was raised to its present height, and ceiled, in the fifteenth century. The clerestory windows, above the arches in the Nave, were added at the same time.
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The present roof of the Nave was extensively restored and rebuilt in 1951. All of the carved wooden bosses are original and have been carefully cleaned and restored.
The ribs supporting them however had to be replaced at that time. The centre line of bosses have finely worked faces.
The stone corbels supporting the roof timbers are particularly interesting. The pained and swollen faces of these little red and green figures show them to be suffering from toothache and headaches.
They commemorate William Button (Bishop of Bath and Wells 1248-64) who was famed for his healing work, especially with facial aches and pains. The corbels are original and painted in their medieval colours.
The old pews of the Nave and aisles were removed in 1880 and replaced by the present ones. Remains of the bases, which once supported oil lamps, can be seen in some pews. The whole church was repaired and re-floored at about the same time. The Pulpit and Lectern Eagle are also Victorian; the former being presented in 1856 by the then Vicar, and the latter purchased at a cost of £41 by public subscription to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. An eagle is the most common form of lectern, its outstretched wings symbolising the Gospel being carried all over the world.
On the floor in front of the Screen are two carved pieces of stone, one fan-shaped and the other hexagonal; these were taken from the North aisle chapel.
The Screen
The Screen is all that remains of an elaborate and richly carved Rood Screen of the fifteenth century. There is stylised carving of grapes and vine along its top, recalling the words of Christ "l am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
The actual Rood (an image of Christ on the cross) was, during the Middle Ages and probably until the Reformation, supported on a beam, which rested on the head corbels about half way up the Chancel Arch. In front of this, there was once a Rood Loft (a sort of platform, or gallery), which was used on festival days for the reading of the Epistle and the Gospel, and to accommodate the Choir. It was supported by a beam, which stretched across the body of the Church. Traces of this arrangement can still be seen. On the North wall is a small doorway below the outline of another. The upper doorway led out into the Rood Loft, and was reached via a spiral staircase in the wall from the lower one. Between the two doorways can be seen a stone corbel depicting an angel bearing a scroll; this, together with a similar corbel opposite (by the window on the South wall) supported the beam under the Rood Loft.
The Chancel
On the North side, the Organ fills the former Lady Chapel. Originally placed on the northwest wall, it was moved to its present position presumably in the nineteenth century. The instrument was blown manually and a record exists that the Organ was cleaned and overhauled in 1924 for the sum of forty-nine pounds, seventeen shillings and sixpence, including the altering of the blowing handle position.
In 1967 the Organ was rebuilt and the console (Ensemble of manuals at which the player sits) was detached and placed near the southeast wall.
On the South side, there is the attractively carved Parclose Screen separating the Chancel from the South (Merle) Chapel. The painted wooden roof of the Chancel dates from the mid-nineteenth century, with a floral design including stars over the Sanctuary.
The Communion Table in the Sanctuary is the focal point of the church; where in response to our Lord's command "Do this in remembrance of Me " the Service of Holy Communion is celebrated. It was for this Service that St Andrew's was built. The theme of the Communion Rail kneeler is Unity; the unity of God, the Church and man. The design is linked throughout with a brown thread in a Celtic design, uniting the flowers and the symbols. The flowers depicting the arts are from the works of Shakespeare. St Andrew's cross is repeated in the pattern, as is God the Holy Spirit in the dove and the Holy Trinity in the three fishes. In the centre is 'Christ the King' a symbol of the Chi Rho and crown. On either side is an original monogram of the letters UNITY with the I and T forming a cross.
On the South wall of the Sanctuary is an unusual and elaborate double Piscina (literally: fishpond, a form of drain to take rinsings from vessels used during Holy Communion). It is thought to be over seven hundred years old.
Above the Piscina is a window in the Decorated style of the fourteenth century. It depicts the four Patron Saints of the British Isles: St George, St Andrew, St Patrick and St David, which contrasts with the style of the window on the North side of the Chancel.
There are burial chambers beneath the floor of the Chancel and the former Lady Chapel; their date is uncertain. Brass plates from graves beneath the Nave are restored on the pew ends.
The East Window
The tracery at the top of this fine Perpendicular window contains delicately coloured medieval glass, with the contrast of the stronger colours of the Victorian glass of the five main lights of the window. The three centre lights depict St Andrew bringing the boy with the loaves and fishes to Our Lord before the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. The light on the left depicts Andrew with Jesus and John the Baptist; Andrew was a follower of John before he became an Apostle. The right hand light depicts Andrew with his brother Peter kneeling before Jesus. Thus, there is a theme of 'bringing'; John the Baptist bringing Andrew to Jesus, Andrew bringing Peter, and Andrew bringing the boy with the loaves and fishes.
The clear 'sky' above the heads of the figures was originally at the base of the window where it was hidden by a reredos (the backing for the Communion Table). After removal of the reredos, during the restoration work of the early nineteen fifties, the glass was removed from the window and replaced, with the figures lowered to their present position, and the 'sky' glass placed above them.
The Merle Chapel
Known formerly as the Chapel of St Congar, this was until 1952 a private chapel attached to the manor of Iwood in the ownership of the Norman and the Richardson families. It was restored in 1880 by Ann de Merle of a Huguenot branch of the Norman family, which explains the choice of four French saints for the East window.
Ann Merle who is buried here, died in 1894 – her grave inscription reads: “Formerly Norman: Widow of William Henry de Merle, DL of Weston super Mare. Only child of Henry and Ann Norman of Portbury"
Below two Biblical scenes in the east window, the sower and the faithful servant, are depicted St Louis, a thirteenth century King of France; St Denis, Patron Saint of France who as the glass illustrates was beheaded by the Roman Governor of Paris in 275; St Remigius, sixth century 'Apostle of the Franks' and St Vincent of Lerins, fifth century monk.
The South window of the Chapel depicts the Transfiguration of Jesus with Moses (left) and Elijah while Peter, James and John sleep.
It commemorates the restoration of the Chapel and has the inscription "In memory of W H Merle of this county, descended from an old Norman family who gave him home and country for conscience sake. This chapel was restored by his widow Ann of Merle in AD 1880."
There are painted 'suns' on the ceiling, and the coloured corbels depicting heads of medieval women.
The Communion Rail and kneeler were added as part of a general restoration of the Chapel in 1982. The latter incorporates designs from the Mary Merle memorial tablet on the East wall. These signify the phases of life: birth (chrysalis); youth (snowdrop); marriage (orange blossom); death (broken poppy) and resurrection (butterfly). The kneeler design includes the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (Alpha and Omega) signifying that Jesus is the beginning and end of all things, a lily the symbol for Mary and two magpies for joy. Wild roses link the design to those on the screens of the Chapel. The word merle means blackbird in French, which explains another motif in the kneeler.
In the South wall is a single Piscina, and an arched recess, which may have marked the site of the tomb of the church's founder. The screens and windows carry designs of the coats of arms of the families connected with the Chapel.
The South Aisle
In the South aisle there is a black and white marble memorial to Hester Richardson (Norman), this is typical of its kind but interesting in its use of both the ancient ‘f’ for s and the modem s in such words as lofs and goodnefs.
There are fine stone corbels, supporting the roof timbers on either side.
The Perpendicular windows of this aisle contain modern glass placed as a War Memorial in 1949. From the East end, the three matching designs relate to the three armed services and depict St Clement, St Michael and St George. The lines written on the bottom panels of the RAF window were composed by Eleanor Lutley, wife of a former vicar of St Anne's, Hewish. These windows are in marked contrast to the more modern West window in the aisle, dated 1971, which shows Jesus surrounded by young children. Situated above the Southwest corner this window recalls the words of Jesus "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven ".
The South Porch
This dates from the thirteen century and its inner doorways are finely carved. The chamber over the porch was added in 1825, but prior to this there may have been a priest's chamber over the porch. The small doorway certainly gave access to a Palm Sunday Gallery from which palm branches were strewn during the great Palm Sunday Processions of previous centuries.
There is an ancient lock on the inner doorway of the Porch.
The Font and Tower Screen
At the West End of the Nave is the Font. The bucket shaped bowl itself is Norman with fine cable-work mouldings. The clustered pillars of the pedestal supporting it, however, are thirteenth-century. They resemble the Early English pillars of the North aisle; the same design is seen at the base of the Pulpit. The wooden font cover is of Jacobean style and craftsmanship dating from the early seventeenth century.
To the West beyond the Font is the Tower Screen, the doors of which belonged to the Rood Screen. The Tower Screen was glazed and extended into the arch in 1949 as the inscription indicates.
The North Aisle
In the North aisle there are very slender shafted pillars at the sides of the West window. A board on the North wall lists the incumbents at St Andrew's from 1228 to the present day. Further to the East on this wall are a brass War Memorial and standards of the Royal British Legion. The windows of the North aisle belong to the Perpendicular period; those with square panes contain old Nailsea glass.
The Exterior and Churchyard
It is possible to see most of the architectural features of the exterior simply by following the footpath around the West end of the Church.
The Tower
The fifteenth century Tower is one of the few in this area surmounted by a spire. The spire is decorated with a band, and the whole structure rises some 120 feet. It is topped by a gilded cock weather-vane, the design of which recalls Peter's denials of Christ, "before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times. "
The clock on the East face of the Tower dates from the mid-nineteenth century. The Tower was re-pointed and restored in 1951, at which time a new floor to the clock chamber was added. The West door is no longer used.
The South Porch
On the East side of the outer doorway are the remains of ancient scratch dials (or mass Dials), a particular clear example being about halfway up the edge of the doorway.
These lines were used to indicate the hours of observance of the church services before the days of clocks. They are probably very early; nay may date from the building of the Porch in the thirteenth century. Parts of another scratch dial can be seen on the South-facing buttress to the East of the South Porch
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