Cannington Parish Church and St. Leonard’s, Combwich
If there was a Church during Saxon times it was probably of wooden construction, since nothing within the existing Church pre-dates the Norman Conquest. We do know from the Domesday Survey of 1086 that Aelfric the priest held land in the parish, so we may assume that there was a priest in Cannington at times during the Saxon period.
The Normans certainly built a church on the present site, and in the Choir Vestry the north respond of the 12th century chancel arch can be seen. From this evidence, together with the weathering to be seen on the east face of the tower and under the existing roof line, we have a fair indication of the length and height of this Norman building. Roughly speaking it was approximately the same length, about half the height of the present building, but unaisled. If there was a tower we don’t know what form it took.
Robert de Curci, around 1138, gave the church and the rectorial estate as part of the endowment of Cannington Priory, which he founded. So, by the 13th century, parochial incumbents of Cannington were known as Vicars; a situation which existed until 1984, when Rectors were appointed with the creation of the United Benefice, which includes Otterhampton, Combwich, Stockland and Steart.
A record of 1336 contains the first reference to the dedication of the Church to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This dedication reflects an age when Mary was the most popular Saint in England, and a time when most Churches were dedicated in her honour.
Whatever form the tower took at the beginning of the 14th century we don't know, for it was rebuilt in its present form during the latter part of the century.
The Norman building was demolished during the 15th century and the present majestic Grade 1 building, in Perpendicular style was erected. One of the most intriguing features of the rebuilding is that the Church was built out of line to the 14th century tower. The most likely explanation is that the old building encroached into the area of the Priory, and the rebuilding was a golden opportunity to redress the balance. At the time of the rebuilding during the 15th century, the land was still held by the Priory who were therefore able to dictate the form the building took. The new Church was substantially larger than the old, with north and south aisles being included in the design. The nave and chancel, consisting of five bays, and sanctuary were structurally undivided – but, more spectacularly, they were all enclosed under one roof. Hence the great height of the waggon roof ceiling of the building, which includes the original 131 painted bosses and 28 painted corbels. The building was divided liturgically by the wooden screen, creating a chapel at the end of each aisle, and a chancel and sanctuary in the centre. Exactly when this rebuilding took place is unknown, but the new work includes badges of the Poynings family. This suggests the involvement of Eleanor Poynings [d.1484], wife of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland [d.1461], and therefore a construction date during the second half of this century is favoured. In 1479 it was known that the Holy Trinity fraternity had its own altar within the Church, and the south aisle of the new Church may well have been the Trinity aisle. Nevertheless the connection with the name of the fraternity has been maintained, and the chapel at the east end of the south aisle is still dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
You can't help but wonder what the church tower looked like after 1735. Two fascinating documents drawn up in that year contain the articles of agreement and vestry agreement, for the rough casting of the tower and the retiling of the Church roof by Dominick Cleeves and Thomas Haddon, Heliers of Bridgwater.
In 1840 we know that the pulpit stood on the north side of the nave. There were galleries in front of the tower arch, over the south door and over the former north aisle chapel. Box pews occupied the eastern end of the nave and the aisles. The chancel formed a large sanctuary with communion rails around three sides of the altar, and there was a large screen to the north, which surrounded the Clifford family vault. We know all this because it was in this year that the architect Richard Carver started to refurbish the Church, a process which took two years. He turned what remained of the central section of the screen [presumably the Puritans had demolished the more ornate parts of it] into parcloses for private pews to occupy the former aisle chapels. He greatly reduced the size of the sanctuary, and reseated the whole Church, placing the pulpit and reading desk at the centre of the entrance to the chancel and directly in front of the altar. A vestry on the north side of the former north chapel was altered to include the former rood stair turret. After prolonged disputes, the 18th century wrought iron screen of the Clifford vault was placed in a less prominent position. The outside of the Church also received attention, and within the Church records there is a specification of the work that was required in 1841.
The architect, Edwin Down, in 1885, undid much of Carver's work. The screen, including what was left of the original work, was restored to its original position, the whole Church was reseated with a central aisle and the 19th century pulpit was moved back to the old position on the north side of the nave. A new vestry was built on the north side of the sanctuary, and the iron screen, which had caused such a problem 45 years before, became a parclose between the new choir stalls and the organ, which stood in the former north chapel. The rood stair was again altered and the former vestry became a fuel store.
Since 1885 there have been no major changes to the structure. The only new building work since then was an insertion in the north wall during 1982 to provide access to a toilet. During the period between 1984 – 1998, extensive restoration and repair works have been carried out, which include retiling the roof and re-flooring in the nave and aisles.
The interior of the Church contains a number of notable features. The porch seems disproportionately small. There is evidence in the stone work that it has been the subject of some alteration, and may at one time have had a west facing window. The porch ceiling, in common with all the ceilings in the Church, has very attractive decorated wooden bosses which form an integral part of the roof structure. All the bosses were restored in 1965. To the right of the entrance can be seen the remains of a Holy Water stoup.
To the west of the south door there is a finely carved 16th century Parish Chest. Above the south door can be seen the Royal Arms of Charles II. For a considerable period of time following the restoration of the monarchy, Churches were required to show their loyalty to the monarch in this way. The pew fronts at the central crossing contain much 17th century work.
A Rood Screen was included in the 15th century rebuilding, and much of what you see today, up to the height of the present frieze, is original. We can gain some idea of the height and width of the now lost rood loft, from the location of the doorway high up in the wall of the north aisle. Exactly when this was removed along with the rood figures we are unsure. The current frieze at the top of the screen was added during the restoration of 1885. The present rood figures were given by Mrs Marion Tanner in 1983, in memory of her parents and brother, Fred, Jane and John Dolding.
We have already noted that in 1479 the Holy Trinity Fraternity had an altar in the church. It was probably in the position of the current altar table in the Trinity Chapel. The Aumbry in the south wall was once a Piscina indicating the site of an altar. The present altar, which dates from 1633, cannot therefore have been the original. It is probable that this altar table was the gift of John Pym, the celebrated parliamentary leader and Puritan, whose family lived at Brymore, to the west of the village, and was probably given as the Communion Table during the Puritan era.
To the right of the Aumbry, though not in its original position, is a monumental brass to William Dodesham Senior, [d.1440], and his wife Ellen.
The Reredos dates from 1893, and is made up of five encaustic panels, depicting the whole company of heaven with Christ in Majesty occupying the centre panel. It incorporates the faces of the donors, Joanna and Philip Pleydell Bouverie, whose family also owned Brymore for a time.
On the north side can be seen the splendid early 18th century wrought iron screen. When first introduced to the Church it was set in front of the tomb of Hugh, Second Lord Clifford. It now forms a screen between the choir stalls and the organ, which occupy the space of the old north chapel, which once housed the vault of the Clifford Family.
One of the more mysterious features of the chancel is the long slit in the north wall. It has been suggested that this may have been a viewing point for the nuns of the Priory to keep an eye on the Altar without being seen. Some have gone so far as to suggest that behind the wall there was once an anchorite's cell. Externally there is evidence of a roof line at right angles, and it is therefore likely that the slit was a viewing window. Below this slit are the mutilated remains of a monumental brass to Joan, wife of William Dodesham, [d.1472].
The foiled Piscina, South Wall, Holy Water Stoup, to the right of the Priest's Door, and Aumbry in the North Wall, are believed to be part of the 15th century rebuilding; the stone Sedilia is modern.
From the centre of the Church it can be noted that the red sandstone is all exposed; this was certainly not in accordance with the original building, which no doubt had plastered walls. The joints in the stonework have been pointed in a black lead mortar. More curiously are the apparently missing stones in the wall, which of course wouldn't have been noticeable when the walls were plastered. For what reason these holes were made remains a mystery, but it has been suggested that they provided a housing to make the scaffolding more stable during the original construction.
The marble altar at the east end of the North Aisle is modern, and was given in memory of Ian Beyer Gordon who died in 1966. It is known as the ‘Resurrection Altar’. The figure of the ‘Resurrected Christ’ attached to the Rood Screen behind the altar is by Tom Preator.
The font is of the early 15th century, octagonal in design and featuring rose carvings. The font cover is Victorian. On the south wall can be seen a plaster altar frontal which is believed to have belonged to the second community of Benedictine nuns, who lived in Cannington from 1807 until 1835.
It is rare to find carved stone consecration crosses on churches, yet Cannington has seventeen on the outside walls of the chancel and nave.
On the west face of the tower there were originally seven niches for statues, and presumably these were filled at the time the tower was constructed. One can guess that these statues met their end during the Reformation. The current figures are all relatively modern. The topmost one of the Virgin and Child, is Victorian. The two single statues below are of St. Joseph of Arimathea on the left, and King Alfred on the right. The lower four, working from left to right are of Joanna, last prioress of Cannington, St. Cecilia, St. Hugh of Lincoln and St. John the Baptist. Just before the beginning of the First World War, a statue of St. Boniface was set in between the two buttresses of the south east corner of the tower.
The clock is the work of John Smith of Derby and, in recent years, has been linked to three electric motors for automatic winding.
From the ground it is hard to appreciate the beauty of the weathercock some 120 feet above you. Although repaired on a number of occasions, the last being in 1998, as a result of storm damage, the cock retains much of its original metal. It was made in 1758 by the firm of Bayley and Street of Bridgwater and weighs over two hundredweights.
The Church has a heavy ring of six bells, hung in the uppermost stage of the tower, the oldest having been cast in 1619.
Perhaps you were surprised when you saw the title of this section to see Combwich mentioned, but the facts are that, until 1868, Combwich was one of the four tithings of Cannington. The origins of the Chapel of St. Leonard in Combwich are unknown. There is a record of its existence in 1336, and we know it bore the title of St. Leonard’s in 1524. Until the dissolution of Cannington Priory in 1536, they paid for the Chapel to be served by a chaplain. There are records of bequests being made to the chapel until 1546. In 1549 the chapel and the chapel house were granted to two Londoners. In 1593, when the chapel house and dovecot were sold, no mention was made of the chapel and no further information is known. As to what happened to the building, even its site remains a mystery.
