_Lydford, East_ and _West_, two small villages about 1/2 m. apart,
lying on either side of the Fosseway, 5 m. W. of Castle Cary. At the E.
hamlet is a small modern memorial church, with a spire (1866). The W.
village, which is traversed by the Brue, has a church which was rebuilt
in 1846, and has undergone several renovations since.
_Lympsham_, a parish 6 m. S.S.E. of Weston-super-Mare (nearest station
Brent Knoll, 2-1/2 m.). It has a church with a good tower (double
windows in the belfry), which is said to lean westward some, feet out
of the perpendicular. Within note (1) the fine wood roof of the N.
aisle, which was once a chapel (it has a piscina); (2) the 12th cent.
tub font.
_Lyng_, a village 1/2 m. W. of Athelney Station, situated on the Tone.
Its little aisleless church, which was once a chapelry of Alfred's
monastery at Athelney, has a beautiful, though small, Perp. tower (with
double belfry windows). One of the bells dates from 1609. The body of
the church (of earlier date than the tower) contains much that is
interesting, particularly a good Dec. sedile and some fine carved
bench-ends (16th cent.). Note also (1) the oak pulpit, (2) old glass in
a window on N. of chancel, (3) piscinas, (4) tub font, (5) old chest
hollowed from a single trunk (under the tower). The "isle" of Athelney,
with Alfred's monument, is in this parish.
_Maperton_ is a pleasant village 3-1/2 m. E. from Sparkford. Of the
church, which is rather screened from view by an adjoining mansion, the
only old portion is the tower. A few corbels of an earlier church and a
piece of interlaced carving are preserved in the S. porch. The piscina
deserves notice; it is said to be Norman.
_Mark_, a large but scattered village on the marshes between Highbridge
and Wells, 3 m. N.E. from Bason Bridge Station (S. & D.). The houses
straggle along the road-side for a considerable distance. The church,
which is at the far end of the village, is of some dignity, and has
been carefully restored. It has a Perp. tower, with triple belfry
windows of not very successful design, and there is a good parapet to
the nave. The S. aisle is evidently older than the rest of the building
(note the arcade). The fine panelled roof covering the N. aisle should
be observed, and the projecting figures on the wall-plate of the nave.
Other features claiming attention are (1) the unusual direction of the
squints in the chancel arch, (2) Perp. screens (1634), (3) rood-loft
stair and turret in N. aisle, (4) blocked priest's door in sanctuary,
(5) blocked squint in S. porch, (6) carved font under tower. The
chancel contains some finely carved figures of the Evangelists, brought
from Bruges Cathedral by a former rector.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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