_Muchelney_, 2 m. S.E. of Langport, is a small village rich in
antiquities. Like Athelney, it was once a marsh-girt "island "--the
largest, or _muckleey_, amongst its peers. Its church has a fair tower
(double windows in the belfry), though much inferior to those of Huish
and Kingsbury. At the W. door there is a fine stoup. There are N. and
S. porches with parvises or chambers, and the vault of the S. porch is
groined. Within should be noticed (1) quaint paintings on the nave
roof, (2) piscina and sedilia with fine canopies, (3) group of canopied
niches E. of the S. aisle, (4) fine carved Perp. font. In the
churchyard, E. of the church, is a fine panelled tomb. S. of the parish
church are the foundations of the _Abbey Church_. The Abbey was founded
by the Saxon Athelstan, about 939. The remains may be traced of (1) an
apsidal Norm. Lady Chapel, (2) a square-ended Lady Chapel of later
date. A few tiles are preserved in the adjoining church. S. of the
churchyard is the _Abbot's House_, which exhibits much of interest
(especially a room with a settle of Henry VIII.'s time), if admission
can be obtained. A panelled (interior) wall may be seen from the road:
behind it is a cloister (now a cider cellar). N. of the parish church
is another interesting building, the old Vicarage House, dating from
the 14th or 15th cent. In another house hard by is a fragment of Norm.
carving. Note, too, the village cross (restored.)
_Mudford_ is a village on the Yeo, 3 m. N. of Yeovil. The church has a
good tower, but contains little of interest. The pulpit appears to be
Jacobean, and there is a curious bracket near one of the S. windows.
_Mudgeley_. See _Wedmore_.
_Nailsea_, a village (with station) 9 m. W.S.W. of Bristol. Its church
preserves some features of interest, among them being (1) stone pulpit,
entered through the wall by a staircase which formerly led to the
rood-loft, (2) curious carving on the capitals of the arcade, (3)
piscina, (4) monument to Richard Cole and his family, with its punning
Latin epitaph and free translation. Some way from the village is
_Nailsea Court_, a manor house of partly Tudor, partly Elizabethan
construction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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