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spread of the
Somerset tower into the surrounding countryside. Ultimately, however, Harvey concludes that what is needed to do a proper dating and sorting of the rich collection of medieval towers in Somerset is a team of history, document, and architecture experts to probe widely and deeply, amassing all the clues possible before constructing the definitive dating and systematics of the towers.
332:, writing in 1952, accepted much of the classification scheme set out in earlier works, based on age and the arrangement of the windows. He argued, however, that the North Somerset group had been wrongly classified. Based on an early attempt to bring computer analysis to the study of the towers, Poyntz Wright in 1981 published a
88:"Somerset's wealth of some 90 late medieval towers, 50 of which are great designs by any standard, gives the county a unique place in the history of English art. The prosperity of the wool trade in the 15th century paid for the design and craftsmanship, displayed often in small villages, which still astonish us today."
287:
How quickly the towers were built is controversial. Poyntz Wright estimates one or two years. John H. Harvey believes a construction rate of 10 feet (3 m) per year, allowing for gradual settlement, is more in accord with known medieval tower construction rates. The towers were commissioned by
411:
as "the source of the typical 'Somerset Tower'... and the later concept of the spireless tower throughout this country." Harvey presumes that
Wynford, who died in 1405, was directly involved in the design of St Cuthbert's parish church, a few blocks away from Wells cathedral, one sign of the
361:
Harvey pushes many of Poyntz Wright's tower construction dates later, and some earlier. He cites Yeovil's church as one of the earliest
Somerset towers, suggesting that its construction began well before 1400. He finds similarities in the Yeovil church's buttress scheme and parapet to the datable
352:
In a 1984 article, John H. Harvey thoroughly rejects Poyntz Wright's systematics, the assumptions upon which it was based, and the resulting tower dates. Harvey stresses the importance of tower arches as conservative architectural features, contrasting these with decorative features that could be
127:
The prolific construction of the towers – some started before 1360 – was typically accomplished by a master mason and a small team of itinerant masons, supplemented by local parish laborers, according to Poyntz Wright. But other authors reject this model, suggesting instead that leading
292:
notes that at the end of the 14th century, Somerset was producing a quarter of the wool products made in
England and this was one of the sources of wealth that produced the Somerset towers. The boom in wool led to a comparable, though architecturally rather different, wave of equally extravagant
336:
of the towers to tease out patterns reflecting the chronology and teams of builders behind their construction. Based on details such as the numbers and arrangement of windows; presence, arrangement and decoration of pinnacles and merlons; and arrangement, location, and styling of buttresses, he
136:"It is, indeed, a source of wonder that funds and skilled workmen were forthcoming in sufficient quantity to erect or rebuild so many churches within a comparatively short period. It was upon the Towers that the greatest skill of the Perpendicular builders was lavished."
124:, which is defined as encompassing those "of outstanding or national architectural or historic interest". Those that do not achieve grade I are listed as II*, which means "particularly significant buildings of more than local interest."
357:"Whereas there is a substantial possibility of alteration in the tracery of a west window ... or of a later insertion of a west door, it is almost impossible for the tower-arch to be other than an integral part of the original build."
349:. These churches were clustered based on traits such as having smaller towers with a single window in each face of the top stage; a pierced top parapet without merlons and four square-set corner pinnacles above.
316:
Because of the age of the
Somerset towers, there are few records showing exactly when and by whom they were built. But for more than a century, experts have studied and classified the Somerset towers.
677:. Vol. lxii. 60 collotypes prepared for a planned monograph are in the British Library, Add MS 37260-37263, and were published by the Society. Somersetshire Archeological Society at Gillingham.
255: – a limestone from the area – was a frequent choice, but because of the difficulty and expense of transporting stone, stone from the nearest quarries was generally used, including red
132: – their most important commissions. Contract builders carried out the plans, adding a distinctive mix of innovative details and decorations as new designs emerged over the years.
337:
described and proposed rough dates for "generations" of
Somerset towers. For example, Poyntz Wright proposed "The Churchill Generation" as an early group including churches at
113:
104:
towers typically positioned on the west side of the churches. The towers soar more than 100 feet (30 m) in some cases – 182 feet (55 m) in the case of
173:
of the era innovated and borrowed new designs from one another, adding additional storeys and elaborating decoration wherever there was money to support it. The
83:"They stand apart by reason of their style, their intricate decoration, and their great height, from which they command the low flat plains of Somerset."
874:
129:
732:
894:
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became a tradition still practiced in some of these
English country churches. Most of the churches in this article have been designated, under the
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244:
can be cut in any direction, making possible fancy curves and fine details. Unfortunately, the softness of the stone also makes it subject to
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In the absence of such a definitive tower taxonomy, Poyntz Wright's dates and scheme – used and italicized on the related page, "
600:
845:
1113:
985:
725:
904:
208:, for example. This icing of sculpted decoration, often made of beautifully colored stone, was hewn from soft sedimentary
297:. An additional source of support for some of the Somerset churches would have been close ties to nearby monasteries in
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wealthy benefactors and parishes as a testament to their faith, as well as a highly visible sign of wealth and status.
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The distinctive quality of the
Somerset towers derives in large part from fine decorative details –
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has cited the towers as one of
England's finest contributions to medieval art. Other authors write:
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The Parish Church Towers of
Somerset, Their construction, craftsmanship and chronology 1350 - 1550
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in the 16th century largely brought to an end the era of Somerset tower construction.
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architects designed the parish church towers based on early examples of Perpendicular
830:
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635:
521:. Tower Restoration Fund, St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton and Impact Design +PR, Taunton.
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changed in later stages of construction – or even after the tower was complete:
169:(begun 1184) and their renovations into the 14th century. Beyond these, however, the
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100:-style Somerset towers became landmarks for travelers, with their square, corner-
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offering new classifications in 1904. Wickham, who spent time as the vicar of
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proposed a classification of the towers in 1851–1852, with Dr. F.J. Allen and
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Key architectural references in the development of the Somerset towers were
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Somerset Perpendicular – The Church Towers and the Dating Evidence
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Stone conservation article relating to Hamstone Somerset tower
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A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3 (1974), pp. 1-13
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114:
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
108:'s north tower (1440). Most of the towers house bells, and
543:. London: The Ancient Monuments Society. pp. 158–173.
153:, was featured on the 9-pence postage stamp in 1972.
38:"The grandest of all English parish church towers."
673:Brereton, R. P. (1904). "Somerset Church Towers".
660:The buildings of England, South and West Somerset
130:design and ornamentation developed for cathedrals
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165:(begun around 1180 and consecrated 1239), and
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251:For the foundations and walls of the towers,
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407:Harvey cites Wynford's southwest tower of
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192:, and beautifully adorned doors, arches,
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92:Often built on the foundations of older
46:are a collection of distinctive, mostly
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605:Somerset County Council — History
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555:"Somerset by G.W. Wade and J.H. Wade"
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212:quarried around Somerset, including
1124:Towers completed in the 16th century
1119:Towers completed in the 15th century
623:
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688:Wickham, Archdale Kenneth (1965).
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149:The Somerset tower of St. Mary's,
14:
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1104:Bell towers in the United Kingdom
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419:" – should be held lightly.
402:St. Cuthbert parish church, Wells
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462:England's Thousand Best Churches
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383:
293:parish churches in 15th century
75:Newspaper columnist and editor
1114:Gothic architecture in England
692:. London: David & Charles.
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496:. Avebury Publishing Company.
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492:Poyntz Wright, Peter (1981).
444:
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519:Poster: The Somerset Towers
439:English Gothic architecture
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390:St. John's church in Yeovil
188:windows and bell openings,
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675:The Archaeological Journal
576:"Parishes: Huish Episcopi"
204:, and tall external stair
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16:Gothic-style church towers
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925:National Trust properties
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632:Portrait of the Quantocks
283:Classification and dating
1059:English landscape garden
539:Harvey, John H. (1984).
517:Murrow, Tom and Jackie.
56:towers in the county of
742:Architecture of England
634:. London: Robert Hale.
630:Waite, Vincent (1964).
460:Jenkins, Simon (2000).
429:List of Somerset towers
417:List of Somerset towers
318:Edward Augustus Freeman
21:List of Somerset towers
811:Strawberry Hill Gothic
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220:stone (quarried near
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1094:Churches in Somerset
905:Renaissance theatres
885:Round-tower churches
690:Churches of Somerset
159:Gloucester Cathedral
98:Perpendicular Gothic
1109:Church architecture
875:Medieval cathedrals
870:Abbeys and priories
1099:Towers in Somerset
1034:Dartmoor longhouse
1029:Wealden hall house
434:Towers in Somerset
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32:St. Mary Magdalene
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991:Brighton and Hove
880:Former cathedrals
831:Bristol Byzantine
656:Pevsner, Nikolaus
611:on 5 October 2013
601:"Parish Churches"
464:. Penguin Books.
263:from quarries at
259:, and the softer
167:Glastonbury Abbey
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609:the original
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781:Elizabethan
761:Saxo-Norman
756:Anglo-Saxon
307:Glastonbury
277:North Curry
228:stone, and
175:Reformation
120:as grade I
71:Description
1088:Categories
1044:Bath stone
1021:Oast house
976:Manchester
966:Birmingham
857:structures
821:Jacobethan
801:Queen Anne
445:References
368:Winchester
330:East Brent
246:weathering
214:Bath stone
198:buttresses
102:buttressed
62:south west
19:See also:
1054:Flushwork
1006:Almshouse
1001:Fan vault
971:Liverpool
930:Windmills
836:Brutalist
826:Edwardian
816:Victorian
658:(2003) .
339:Churchill
299:Muchelney
261:freestone
257:sandstone
253:blue lias
242:freestone
210:limestone
190:gargoyles
182:pinnacles
48:spireless
1075:Category
940:Stadiums
806:Georgian
791:Carolean
786:Jacobean
423:See also
362:work of
334:taxonomy
303:Athelney
273:Doulting
265:Ham Hill
234:Ham Hill
230:Hamstone
218:Doulting
194:parapets
141:Features
58:Somerset
986:Bristol
915:Museums
865:Castles
615:7 March
560:3 March
326:Martock
295:Suffolk
206:turrets
202:merlons
186:tracery
184:, lacy
65:England
36:Taunton
1024:(cowl)
961:London
766:Norman
749:Styles
638:
585:2 June
500:
468:
376:Oxford
345:, and
275:, and
236:since
232:(from
226:Dundry
94:Norman
54:church
51:Gothic
954:Other
776:Tudor
238:Roman
116:, by
981:Bath
636:ISBN
617:2008
587:2008
562:2008
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466:ISBN
370:and
311:Bath
309:and
269:Bath
42:The
366:at
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