Church Of St Decuman, Watchet on:
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The Church of St Decuman in
The Wyndham Chapel occupies the east end of the north aisle and is dedicated to the Wyndham family of nearby
St Decuman Church web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watchet, Saint Decuman 15th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in West Somerset Grade I listed churches in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in West Somerset Sant Decuman
The Church of St Decuman in Watchet
Watchet is a harbour town, civil parish and electoral ward in the county of Somerset, England, with a population in 2011 of 3,785. It is situated west of Bridgwater, north-west of Taunton, and east of Minehead. The town lies at the mouth of ...
, Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, England has a 13th-century chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ov ...
with the rest of the church being from the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The dedication is because Watchet is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman
Decuman ( lat-med, Decumanus; cy, Degyman; died ) was one of the Celtic saints who came to Somerset from South Wales, Pembrokeshire, in the seventh century, arriving on a raft (or his cloak) with a cow for a companion. There he was a pastor and ...
was killed.
The church stands on a prominent site overlooking the town. It was restored and reseated by James Piers St Aubyn
James Piers St Aubyn (6 April 1815 – 8 May 1895), often referred to as J P St Aubyn, was an English architect of the Victorian era, known for his church architecture and confident restorations.
Early life
St Aubyn was born at Powick Vicara ...
in 1886–1891, with further internal alterations being made in 1896 when the Caen stone reredos was erected.
Wyndham Chapel
The Wyndham Chapel occupies the east end of the north aisle and is dedicated to the Wyndham family of nearby Orchard Wyndham
Orchard Wyndham is a historic manor near Williton in Somerset, centred on the synonymous grade I listed manor house of Orchard Wyndham that was situated historically in the parish of Watchet and about two miles south of the parish church of ...
House, former lords of the manor
Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seigno ...
. Included is a memorial to Sir John Wyndham (1558 – 1645), who played an important role in the establishment of defence organisation in the West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...
against the threat of the Spanish Armada. Next to his monument is one to his parents, and the chest tomb of his grandparents, with monumental brasses, serves to separate the chapel from the chancel. A mural monument exists with kneeling effigies of two of Sir John's sons, Henry and George, as well as other monuments to the later family of Wyndham.
Burials
*John Wyndham (1558–1645)
Sir John Wyndham (1558 – 1 April 1645), JP, of Orchard Wyndham in the parish of Watchet in Somerset, was an English landowner who played an important role in the establishment of defence organisation in the West Country against the threat ...
* Florence Wadham (buried alive)
*John Sydenham (d. 1521)
*Sir John Wyndham (d.1572)
Churchyard
In the churchyard is the remains of a 15th-century stone cross.See also
*List of Grade I listed buildings in West Somerset
West Somerset is a local government district in the English county of Somerset. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultura ...
* List of towers in Somerset
The Somerset towers, church towers built in the 14th to 16th centuries, have been described as among England's finest contributions to medieval art. The paragraphs and descriptions below describe features of some of these towers. The organization ...
* List of ecclesiastical parishes in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
The ecclesiastical parishes within the Diocese of Bath and Wells cover the majority of the English county of Somerset and small areas of Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is in the ...
References
External links
*St Decuman Church web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watchet, Saint Decuman 15th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in West Somerset Grade I listed churches in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in West Somerset Sant Decuman