MSO7332 - Stoke Pero Church (Building)

[SS 8784 4348] Church (NAT). [1] The dedication of Stoke Pero church is not known. Nothing remains of the old church except the tower and the porch and such of the materials as could be utilised in building the present church in 1897. The old church, which had no foundations, was much decayed on removal and probably took the place of a still older and smaller church. The list of rectors goes back to 1242. [2] The church is in normal use. A notice in the church states that the parton saint is not known. [3] Church. Alone apart from one farmhouse, and must be one of the most solitary churches in Somerset, accessed by a farm track. West tower of just over one stage with a saddleback roof. Joint nave and chancel. Straight headed windows. Wooden doorway has a two centred arch. Tower arch round on the simplest imposts. [4] Parish church, dedication unknown. 13th Century tower, 1897 church and tower reroofed and extensively restored, restored again 1955. Three bay nave and chancel without division. [5] The church stands 1013 feet above sea level and as such is the highest church on Exmoor. When the new fountains were dug in 1897 three sets of human remains were uncovered from directly under the old north wall, suggesting that the 13th Century church had been built on the site of an older churchyard. The church font is medieval in date and the communion chalice (which is no longer kept in the church) dates to 1574. [7] The site was photographed from the north in the early 20th Century. [8] The church was photographed in 1999. [9] The buildings were visited in June 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. They received a BAR score of 6. [10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11] The site is labelled "Stoke Pero Church" on the 2022 MasterMap data, and the building is depicted at SS 8783 4349. [12] The 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map labels the building "Church (Rectory)". [13] The church is shown on the Tithe Map for Stoke Pero. It appears to be on a different alignment, although this may be a surveying error. [14,15] The church was featured in an illustration dating to 1849. [16]