St. Petrock's re-opened Tudor Door, 9 June 2020
Title
St. Petrock's re-opened Tudor Door, 9 June 2020
Subject
Description
The main entrance to Timberscombe's St. Petrock's Church is through the North Porch, on the north facing side of the church, overlooking the heart of the village. Until 2020 a further exit was available through a vestry constructed in 1936 which had an external door, but this exit was lost with re-ordering of the vestry in that year. Archaeological monitoring was required to be in place whilst modern facilities were being introduced to the church which required a deep trench to be constructed for mains connections, through an ancient churchyard on the south side, between March and June 2020. Material later sent for carbon dating, as recommended by the site archaeologist James Brigers, indicated evidence of wooden settlement(s), probably religious, of the mid Anglo-Saxon period around the 800's (1) The foundations of the current church were established by the early 1100's (2). The North Porch had been added when the chancel was built c. 1450. (3) A southern aisle was constructed in the early 1500's (4). At that time-- or perhaps a bit later-- another smaller door was added, placed between two of the three 3-light cinquefoil headed mullion windows (one is visible in the second of the four photographs) along the wall of the aisle, opening onto St. Petrock's old southern churchyard. This is known as the Tudor Door. The locally sourced new oak door, seen in the bottom two photographs, is in the same location though not of course the original door, long vanished, after the opening had been closed up for an unknown period of time.
Two photographs at SP-062, taken c. 2019, show where the door had been located, both interior and exterior views of the south aisle wall. The exterior photograph suggests it had likely been cut into an already existing wall, perhaps in the late 15th or early 16th century (5). The interior photograph clearly indicates where the door had been, enclosed and blocked. Above the interior of the doorway is a wall-painting (seen here on the second photograph), believed to be late 16th or early 17th century (6), of King David playing his Harp. It had been obscured by whitewash. Both the doorway and the wall-painting were revealed in 1955 when the interior plaster covering the doorway and the whitewash were removed. The door was described at the time as "filled in with masonry" (7).
It is believed that the original Tudor Door had been a victim of changes in religious practice, as rituals and ceremonies were pared back dramatically after the Reformation. Some secondary church doors across England were in use not so much as an extra entrance and exit so much as to enable Catholic liturgical and processional ceremonies. An example would be on Palm Sunday, when a group of people carrying a tabernacle, holding any sacred relics the church might possess, might leave the church through this door, meeting up with other celebrants, who had exited the main door (the North Porch in the case of St. Petrock's) carrying palms to celebrate Christ's Entry into Jerusalem. The groups might return together to the area of the secondary door, to kneel and receive the Sacrament, before returning to the main door, where after laying down the palms, they re-entered the church (8). Being a Catholic symbol, many such doors were demolished or blocked up, as it is believed was the case here.
It is not clear if King David was part of this wave of Protestant censorship. It is not likely, especially if he was created here as a wall painting in the 17th century, by which time the Reformation was firmly established. The lettering that survives to the left of King David's harp is in old English, not Latin, which also suggests it was an acceptable post-Reformation instructive and decorative painting. Nevertheless at some unknown date it was painted over. Both the wall painting and the interior side of the door opening were not re-revealed until 1955 (9). The roughcast blocking on the external side of the doorway may have been reinforced at this time (10).
Plan were made to re-open the Tudor Door in 2020, with a new oak door commissioned from local craftsman, Jim Bruce, modelled on a smaller existing interior chancel door, c. 1450. Customised ironmongery for the door's fittings was created from a collaboration between Timberscombe's Master Blacksmith, James (Jim) Horrobin and Luxborough blacksmith, Alex Gannon. Two major events then occurred that certainly affected these plans.
Between March and June 2019, consent was given by the Diocese of Bath and Wells and the Exmoor National Park Authority for works to take place on the south side of St. Petrock's Church, preparing for the installation of new drainage and facilities. This was funded by the Parochial Church Council of St. Petrock's, with the required archaeological monitoring work carried out by James Brigers of Prospect Archaeology. While trench excavations were underway, previously unknown burial plots were found that were likely early medieval. The Somerset Archaeological and National History Society, through the Maltwood Fund, provided financing for Radiocarbon dating of an interesting substance excavated by the archaeologist. Further detailed work was carried out, that completely changed historic understandings and origins of St. Petrock's, which are detailed at SP-205.
While not precisely connected to the reinstatement of the Tudor doorway, these projects certainly overlapped. The photographs taken here by James Brigers depict contractors from G.A. Sully & Sons, removing the blocking from the doorway, undertaken after the completion of the drainage works and allowing the access for the new door. The photograph shows the blocking was a single concrete block (seen halfway removed, as the white slab in the doorway), sealed along the southern wall of the church with a render of cement (the roughcast layer being held by the man on the right). The blocking was dated mid 20th century, possibly put in place during the alterations made in 1955. However this modern material was found directly abutting chamfered mouldings and door jambs, "found to be intact and in good condition", that could be firmly determined as 15th century (11), more accurately dating the time period of the original door. The bottom part of the blocking had been set in a lead tray and Mr. Brigers surmised that an original 15th century step may have been discarded when the blocking had been put in place (12). The next photograph was taken inside the church and the exterior sunlight on the cloth placed on the door frame makes it clear that all blocking has been removed--perhaps completely opening the doorway for the first time since the Reformation.
The second overlapping event was the Covid 19 Pandemic. The church was closed for the first time in its recorded history on the 15th March 2020 to the 16th August 2020. (It was closed again from 1 November 2020 to 6 December 2020 and again closed 25 December 2020, reopening 21 March 1921.) After an extended period of construction to enable tradesmen and craftsmen to work in suitably distanced conditions, a carefully masked and distanced exception was allowed on the 9th June 2020, to reveal the southern doorway. The bottom two photographs were taken that day, both from the interior of the church. The bottom photograph show the door closed and the third photograph shows it open, with the front of the door visible--as is the craftsmanship of Jim Bruce, Jim Horrobin and Alec Gannon. The third photograph also reveals a beautiful day, in a difficult time and a job well done, with a new door in place after an almost 500 year closure.
Two photographs at SP-062, taken c. 2019, show where the door had been located, both interior and exterior views of the south aisle wall. The exterior photograph suggests it had likely been cut into an already existing wall, perhaps in the late 15th or early 16th century (5). The interior photograph clearly indicates where the door had been, enclosed and blocked. Above the interior of the doorway is a wall-painting (seen here on the second photograph), believed to be late 16th or early 17th century (6), of King David playing his Harp. It had been obscured by whitewash. Both the doorway and the wall-painting were revealed in 1955 when the interior plaster covering the doorway and the whitewash were removed. The door was described at the time as "filled in with masonry" (7).
It is believed that the original Tudor Door had been a victim of changes in religious practice, as rituals and ceremonies were pared back dramatically after the Reformation. Some secondary church doors across England were in use not so much as an extra entrance and exit so much as to enable Catholic liturgical and processional ceremonies. An example would be on Palm Sunday, when a group of people carrying a tabernacle, holding any sacred relics the church might possess, might leave the church through this door, meeting up with other celebrants, who had exited the main door (the North Porch in the case of St. Petrock's) carrying palms to celebrate Christ's Entry into Jerusalem. The groups might return together to the area of the secondary door, to kneel and receive the Sacrament, before returning to the main door, where after laying down the palms, they re-entered the church (8). Being a Catholic symbol, many such doors were demolished or blocked up, as it is believed was the case here.
It is not clear if King David was part of this wave of Protestant censorship. It is not likely, especially if he was created here as a wall painting in the 17th century, by which time the Reformation was firmly established. The lettering that survives to the left of King David's harp is in old English, not Latin, which also suggests it was an acceptable post-Reformation instructive and decorative painting. Nevertheless at some unknown date it was painted over. Both the wall painting and the interior side of the door opening were not re-revealed until 1955 (9). The roughcast blocking on the external side of the doorway may have been reinforced at this time (10).
Plan were made to re-open the Tudor Door in 2020, with a new oak door commissioned from local craftsman, Jim Bruce, modelled on a smaller existing interior chancel door, c. 1450. Customised ironmongery for the door's fittings was created from a collaboration between Timberscombe's Master Blacksmith, James (Jim) Horrobin and Luxborough blacksmith, Alex Gannon. Two major events then occurred that certainly affected these plans.
Between March and June 2019, consent was given by the Diocese of Bath and Wells and the Exmoor National Park Authority for works to take place on the south side of St. Petrock's Church, preparing for the installation of new drainage and facilities. This was funded by the Parochial Church Council of St. Petrock's, with the required archaeological monitoring work carried out by James Brigers of Prospect Archaeology. While trench excavations were underway, previously unknown burial plots were found that were likely early medieval. The Somerset Archaeological and National History Society, through the Maltwood Fund, provided financing for Radiocarbon dating of an interesting substance excavated by the archaeologist. Further detailed work was carried out, that completely changed historic understandings and origins of St. Petrock's, which are detailed at SP-205.
While not precisely connected to the reinstatement of the Tudor doorway, these projects certainly overlapped. The photographs taken here by James Brigers depict contractors from G.A. Sully & Sons, removing the blocking from the doorway, undertaken after the completion of the drainage works and allowing the access for the new door. The photograph shows the blocking was a single concrete block (seen halfway removed, as the white slab in the doorway), sealed along the southern wall of the church with a render of cement (the roughcast layer being held by the man on the right). The blocking was dated mid 20th century, possibly put in place during the alterations made in 1955. However this modern material was found directly abutting chamfered mouldings and door jambs, "found to be intact and in good condition", that could be firmly determined as 15th century (11), more accurately dating the time period of the original door. The bottom part of the blocking had been set in a lead tray and Mr. Brigers surmised that an original 15th century step may have been discarded when the blocking had been put in place (12). The next photograph was taken inside the church and the exterior sunlight on the cloth placed on the door frame makes it clear that all blocking has been removed--perhaps completely opening the doorway for the first time since the Reformation.
The second overlapping event was the Covid 19 Pandemic. The church was closed for the first time in its recorded history on the 15th March 2020 to the 16th August 2020. (It was closed again from 1 November 2020 to 6 December 2020 and again closed 25 December 2020, reopening 21 March 1921.) After an extended period of construction to enable tradesmen and craftsmen to work in suitably distanced conditions, a carefully masked and distanced exception was allowed on the 9th June 2020, to reveal the southern doorway. The bottom two photographs were taken that day, both from the interior of the church. The bottom photograph show the door closed and the third photograph shows it open, with the front of the door visible--as is the craftsmanship of Jim Bruce, Jim Horrobin and Alec Gannon. The third photograph also reveals a beautiful day, in a difficult time and a job well done, with a new door in place after an almost 500 year closure.
Creator
Jim L. Brigers, Prospect Archaeology, 'Xavier', Nethermore Road, Middlezoy, Somerset/
Marion Jeffrey /
Thomas Sperling /
Thomas Sperling
Marion Jeffrey /
Thomas Sperling /
Thomas Sperling
Publisher
James L. Brigers, Prospect Archaeology, 'Xavier', Nethermoor Road, Middlezoy, Somerset (the top photograph)
Date
likely in April or May 2020
likely in April or May 2020
9 June 2020
9 June 2020
likely in April or May 2020
9 June 2020
9 June 2020
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
installation of "new" Tudor Door / west wall of St. Petrock's Church, Timberscombe / village centre
Acquisition Date
2021
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Churches and Chapels / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2021
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
to be entered
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) PA PROSPECT ARCHAEOLOGY , "The Parish Church of St. Petrock, Timberscombe, Somerset, The Results of Archaeological Monitoring", Ref: TSP 18-30/2020, by James L. Brigers, April 2021 (2) "St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe", church pamphlet written by Marion Jeffrey, 2017 (3) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH", by B.L.K. Henderson and G.O.E. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman & Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (4)"St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe" (5) "TIMBERSCOMBE St. Petrock", Somerset Church's Project, August 2019, Archaeological Assessment 2019 by David Sampson and Jerry Sampson, Buildings Archaeology, who dated the original Tudor Door as late 15th or early 16th century (6) "TIMBERSCOMBE St. Petrock", Somerset Church's Project, Archaeological Assessment 2019 (7) "St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe" (8) "TIMBERSCOMBE St. Petrock", Somerset Church's Project, Archaeological Assessment 2019 and as chronicled by Dr. Jerry Sampson as part of his talk to the St. Petrock's History Group at St. Petrock's Church on 16th September 2019 (9) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH" (10) PA PROSPECT ARCHAEOLOGY, "The Parish Church of St. Petrock, Timberscombe, Somerset, The Results of Archaeological Monitoring" (11) English Heritage, British Listed Buildings.co.uk (12) PA PROSPECT ARCHAEOLOGY, "The Parish Church of St. Petrock, Timberscombe, The Results of Archaeological Monitoring" (13) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park, MSO8306
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2021
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Archive PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-204
Technique
Copies
Citation
Jim L. Brigers, Prospect Archaeology, 'Xavier', Nethermore Road, Middlezoy, Somerset/
Marion Jeffrey /
Thomas Sperling /
Thomas Sperling, “St. Petrock's re-opened Tudor Door, 9 June 2020,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 5, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3475.
Comments