_Perrott, North_, a small village on the Parrett (which doubtless gives
it its name), 2 m. N.E. of Crewkerne. The church is a small cruciform
Perp. structure of rather poor workmanship, with a low central tower.
The tower arches are panelled, and there is a piscina in the chancel.
The manor house hard by is a handsome gabled modern mansion. In the
parish Roman remains have been discovered. The companion village of
_South Perrott_ is in Dorset.
_Petherton, North_, a village 3 m. S.W. of Bridgwater, deriving its
name from the neighbouring Parrett. In the time of Alfred the country
around was one of the royal forests, the others being Selwood, Mendip,
Neroche, and Exmoor. There is a fine church, with a noble tower,
perhaps the best of its class. It belongs to the type that is
characterised by double windows in the belfry, but is more elaborate
than most of its compeers. The stages are divided by bands of
quatrefoils (cp. Huish and Kingsbury), whilst the wall-face above the
belfry windows is beautifully panelled. The W., N., and S. sides are
decorated with niches containing figures; and the summit is finished
with an ornate crown. The turret (as at Lyng) ascends only half-way up.
There are two porches, the S. having a chamber, or gallery, looking
into the church. The most peculiar features of the building are the
slenderness of the piers carrying the chancel arch, and the sacristy
below the E. window (the latter peculiarity occurring also at Langport,
Kingsbury, Porlock, Ilminster, and formerly at Crewkerne). Note the
piscina at the end of the S. aisle. In the churchyard there is the
octagonal base, carved with quatrefoils, of an ancient cross.
PETHERTON, SOUTH, 3 m. S.W. of Martock, is a small town, interesting
mainly for its noble church, which has a central (rather attenuated)
octagonal tower on a square base. The oldest parts of the building
appear to be the basement of the tower, the chancel, the S. porch, and
the N. transept, the difference in the masonry between these portions
and the rest being instructive. The tower still retains some lancets of
the E.E. period; but the earliest windows in the chancel and N.
transept are Dec. The body of the church is Perp., and the W. window
deserves attention. Note, too, (1) stoup outside N. porch; (2)
fragments in S. porch of the same zodiacal signs that appear at
Stoke-sub-Hamdon; (3) piscinas (especially that in the chancel); (4)
tomb of Sir Giles Daubeny (d. 1445) and one of his wives, with a fine
brass (there is also a brass to his second wife on the floor, concealed
by matting); (5) 17th-cent. mural tablets in the S. and N. chapels.
_King Ina's Palace_ is the name of an interesting house on the Martock
road. It is said to date from Richard II.'s time (with later
alterations), and contains a hall, with minstrel gallery, and a good
fireplace. Near the church there are one or two other ancient houses
which invite notice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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