Yeovil's Virtual Museum

The Norman Re-build

Yeovil's Norman church

 

Yeovil’s early minster church was most likely rebuilt by the Normans, since it is recorded in 1226 as "the great church of Gyvele". The Anglo-Saxons, compared to the peoples of later centuries, were somewhat indifferent builders. Their chief building material was wood, mainly oak, and the standard of their stonework was generally poor. Timber churches were later often one of the first buildings in the village to be rebuilt using stone. As a symbol of importance in the life of the village, the church was built to last and a great deal of time and money was often lavished upon it.

In the years immediately after 1066, little or no building was carried out other than the castles built by the Normans to help subjugate the country. Later, however, the Normans were keen to establish their church throughout the land. William and his people were ardent Christians and following the initial period of warfare a very great number of churches, cathedrals and monasteries were built and many Saxon churches were rebuilt or remodelled - as, perhaps, with Yeovil's church. The local lord or noble often built a church on his estate and would appoint a priest and give him a glebe – a house and some land – as a living. Gradually the church began to be used by the estate community rather than the lord and his immediate household. Slowly the priest and the upkeep of the church fabric were paid for by village tithes (whereby each villager had to pay one tenth of his annual income to the church in cash or kind).

The new church would most likely have initially consisted of just a small and compact chancel and nave - of a similar size and style as seen in All Saint's church at Sutton Bingham (see Gallery). Over time, however, the small church may have been enlarged with, perhaps, north and south aisles, north and south transepts, a south porch and possibly either a central tower or a western tower.

In 1219, a judgement had been made concerning a dispute between Sir John Maltravers, lord of the manor of Hendford, and Walerand, parson of Yeovil’s church (by this time assumed to have been rebuilt by the Normans) concerning rents and market tolls. Finding in favour of the parson, this is the first occasion documenting the fact that Yeovil’s church was dedicated to St John the Baptist.

Norman architecture – the Romanesque style – has become a synonym for solidity. Its main characteristic being its massiveness and roundness employing round arches, substantial cylindrical columns and thick flat walls. The great mass of the early walls was to partially compensate for the inadequate quality of the mortar and the large joints that tended to weaken the structure rather than strengthen it. Using partially skilled Saxon labour, their early walls and pillars were very crudely built. Perhaps Sutton Bingham (see below) is the closest we can get to the original form of the Romanesque church in Yeovil, tiny and consisting only of nave and chancel.

 

 

This photograph features in my book 'The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil - a History and Guide'.

All Saints’ church, Sutton Bingham, probably gives a good indication of the size of the small St John’s church built by the Normans. It may have been enlarged over time. All Saints’ was built between 1100 and 1150 in the post-Conquest Romanesque architectural style.

 

This photograph features in my book 'The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil - a History and Guide'.

Probably giving a good representation of Yeovil's Norman church's chancel arch, Sutton Bingham's chancel arch is a very fine example of a Romanesque composite arch with three orders of columns having fluted or simply decorated cushion capitals. These are mostly scalloped and the two outer capitals are decorated with stepped-pattern work.