IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Station Road, WINCANTON, BA9 9QD

Set into the interior wall of the north porch is an old stone workpiece, depicting St Eligius (or Eloi) of sixth century France. He was said to have helped a blacksmith to shoe a recalcitrant horse. The saint, then Bishop of Noyon, removed the horse's leg, nailed the shoe on it and miraculously re-attached the leg to the bemused beast. The scene features this event, but has lost the heads - probably due to the destruction by Protestant iconoclasts after the Reformation. The stone was found in a wall when the church was rebuilt in the eighteenth century under Nathaniel Ireson's supervision. Despite the extensive demolition and rebuilding in 1887-89, it has been retained to the better illustration of this ancient church.

As with many churches, the restoration of Charles II is marked by a coat of arms - here over the north door.

The elegant porch was part of the major rebuilding of the late nineteenth century and features the patron saints of the church. St Peter and St Paul hold their respective symbols: the keys of Heaven and the (now missing) martyr's sword. The Latin inscription 'Per Crucem Tuam Libera Nos Domine' is below the Crucifixion. An area just to the right of the porch, beside the tower, is devoid of any embellishment. It is the site of a 1552 plague pit.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul was almost totally rebuilt 1887-91 by J. D. Sedding, however parts of the tower may be remnants form an earlier church, dating from 1313, on the same site.

Station Road seen from the junction with Church Street with St Peter & St Paul Church in view.

A carved, octagonal, stone font, complete with a small but modern scene at the base.

The tower of St Peter and St Paul is of differing ages. From an original church that may have been Saxon, we have today a more modern tower. The lower part seems to be Mediaeval (perhaps fourteenth century), with additional stages added after. A significant restructuring occurred in the early 1700s and the tower raised by about 4m to include bells and a clock. However, the work did not include repositioning the gargoyles - then at rooftop level! Aparently, there are many carved initials on the upper section.

Wincanton's old church dates from perhaps Saxon times. Certainly it was in a prime spot for trouble during the Danish invasion of the nineth century and part of the old Kingdom of Wessex. The present structure is mainly a result of the major restoration in 1887-89, although the tower is a survivor, possibly dating from the fourteenth century.

The Millers Inn on Silver Street.