The #BestofTheRiverAxeChurches #Somerset: Churches with a #FabbyFont #StCongarBadgworth #StAndrewCheddar #StAndrewComptonBishop #FontsOnFiday

Mouse favour fonts from the High Medieval rather than elaborate Perpendicular

(to see more of each church just click the named #)

The #ScamperDownTheAxe. 16 churches, just 28 miles over 16 weeks. And here they are: #ChurchesOfTheAxe (3 of 4) #StGregoryWeare #StJohnAxbridge #StJamesWinscombe #StAndrewComptonBishop

There was no immediate stand out for the #MouseFavouritePhoto from #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset, but the sheer simplicity and peacefulness of this chance with it's stained glass eventually won the day... and a little of Mouse's heart

And as #FontsMeanFarewell what of the church of #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset? A pleasant church and a few curiosities not least of which the provenance of the trefoil doorway, but overall not enough for a long visit. Mouse award 3/5 #MusVisit 🐭🐭🐭

And finally from Mouse, a little glimpse of pipes for #FridayPipes. Most churches have an organ that obscures at least one architectural detail, here at #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset the organ is discretely installed to the west of the north aisle. Perfect. Maybe pitch perfect

Drawn from the ever expanding archive of #SurprisedChurches. The word Mouse looking for here is 'nonplussed', probably by the curious tendency of headstones to lean over for no apparent reason
South elevation of chancel #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset showing priest's door

The enduring allure of #ChurchDoorFittings from #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #FerrousFriday

Or; when the temperature difference between the church interior and the outside is so big, the door seems to be sweating. An effect Mouse has never seen before

South doorway (exterior) #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset (Part of a new series of #FridaysFacesInStone)

The facial expressions on these head stops are fantastic. They are probably High Medieval but also probably led another life before meeting this arch

After a century or so of Norman Romanesque (left) how do you make a start with your new Gothic doorways? Whip off the single centred circular arch and replace it with a 2-centred 'pointy' one. See? Easy! #AllSaintsDurrington #Wiltshire #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset

Mouse call this composition font with flowers, fire extinguisher and emergency sign.....

Fine Norman 'goblet' font #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #FontsOnFriday #FireExtinguishersInChurches

Fabulous gate with lantern overthrow. The perfect entrance to a fine church #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #Thursgate #IronworkThursday

A #ViewFromTheChurchDoor #StAndrewComptonBishop #DoorwayThursday

Original and in situ, reset or C19 #UberGothic pastiche, Mouse never has a cusped trefoil view before. It's all rather lovely

South of nave #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #AdoorableThursday

Very fine single chamfered segmental pointed re-re arch identical in construction and style to the inner arch. It does rather lead Mouse to think that the outer order of arch externally was added later

West door to tower #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #AdoorableThursday

Beautifully weathered doorway housing a curiously be-windowed door (Nope. Mouse got no idea).

(And a bit of a #ChurchWiringNightmare thrown in)

Tiny door to the rather impressive stair turret #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #AdoorableThursday

Framed by the holy trinity of church exterior photograph ruining intruders; bad rainwater goods, prison issue lighting and lightning rod earth strip (the latter being forgivable)

South of chancel #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #AdoorableThursday

Just adorable (but a tiny bit broken)

Interior. South porch #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset for #DoorwayThursday #AdoorableThursday

Simple chamfered pointed arch with outer highly moulded order, resting on nook shafts with ball flower (ish) capitals. 'Interesting' head stops. Much later door but with good fittings

South porch #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset for #DoorwayThursday

The Listing says C13. No problem with that trefoil but this seems too well preserved, too ornate for this church and has that C19 #UberGothic about it. Anyone got any similar that are definitely C13?

South of nave #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset for #WindowsOnWednesday

Perpendicular windows dating to early C15. Which do you prefer? #StainedGlass or #JustPlainGlass?

South of chancel #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #WindowsOnWednesday

There is just something about the simplicity of this style of window that makes them a Mouse favourite inside and out #JustPlainGlass

North aisle #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #WindowsOnWednesday

2-light perpendicular with wide splay and segmental pointed rere arch #JustPlainGlass

The neat 2-light square windows to the chancel #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #WindowsOnWednesday

The trefoil cusped lights with hollow spandrels are later replacements

Windows to the nave and north aisle of the church of #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset are well proportioned 2 and 3-light Perpendicular with cusped pointed lights. They are all heavily repaired but presumably to the original design #WindowsOnWednesday

There's a feeling Mouse gets when she look to the west.....

The tall double chamfered pointed tower arch of #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset with traceried panel screen and window above (and lots of C15 pews) #Woodensday

A somewhat bleak photo but at least it shows off the exceptionally fine early C15 Perpendicular east window #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #TraceryTuesday

The striking battlemented polygonal stair turret of #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset has cusped panels at the bell stage level (a nice touch) and, of course, the obligatory #TinyWindow or two #TowerTuesday #TinyWindowTuesday

The very functional and solid 3-stage C15 tower #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #TowerTuesday

Angled buttresses, string course below bell stage. A 2-light louvred bell opening to each face. Pierced parapet of narrow quatrefoils set in lozenges. Croqueted pinnacles to corners

The 2-bay arcade, trefoil arches and cylindrical piers and responds can be found in some rarer C13 piscina, but the setting and little ambry has the feel of C19 #UberGothic. It's all a bit well preserved. But look close, it appears to be original #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset

That sinking feeling

A chest tomb slowly drawn into the earth #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #MemorialMonday

North aisle #StAndrewComptonBishop #Somerset #StonemasonryMonday

Even though this is a relatively small church, the by now familiar clustered shafts separated by cavetto moulding are adopted as in the much larger churches in this area. In this case early C15