Friends Meeting House
Long Sutton, Somerset
Built in 1717, this is one of the finest Quaker meeting houses in the country.
15th century church with tie beam roof. The tower is 96ft tall, and has'Somerset' tracery to let out the sound of the six bells. The wooden carved angels on the interior roof king posts are only found rarely in churches. The magnificent carved and painted pulpit is older than the church. It has statues of the twelve apostles in its niches.
The fine, original, north door, though which you enter, is about 500 years old, and has a sanctuary knocker or ring.
The font in the west end is 15th century and the cover is Jacobean. What looks like an elaborate cover hanging on the south wall of the tower is actually a sounding board, also Jacobean, once fixed above the pulpit.
There is a ‘star vaulted ceiling under the tower; the only stone vault in the building. The angels on the roof king posts of the nave bear shields carved with emblems of the crucifixion. A local artist has made a study of these, and we hope leaflets will soon be available giving a closer look. Angels such as these are fairly rare, and mostly found in East Anglia. The central boss of the second bay from the east end of the nave is in the form of a green man.
The fine wooden pulpit is believed to be older than the church, and may be from Althelney. It is one of only four in the country of this type. The statues of the apostles in the niches are good restorations dating from 1910. The rood screen is unusual among West Country screens, having 4 light sections with three mullions all running straight up into the head of the arch, so there are no sub arches. The tracery is very slender, creating an effect of lightness. The green owl above the centre opening is either a pagan symbol relating to Athena/Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, or, alternatively, it is an owl, to frighten away bats!
The cancel has perpendicular panelling on the sides of the arches to north and south of the choir stalls. The wagon roof was restored in 1962. The chancel windows feature the arms of the Duke of Devonshire. The Dukes were large landowner in the district and benefactors of Long Sutton.
