Sunday 15 September 2024

Pulpit and Rood Screen, Holy Trinity Church, Long Sutton

Holy Trinity Church in Long Sutton has an unusual coloured wooden pulpit on a wine-glass stem with a fly approach stair.  It dates from c1455-58 and is older than the church, which dates from 1493.  The pulpit was restored and re-coloured in 1872 by Mr W King Lucas.  It took him 13 weeks to restore it. The wooden statues of the apostles in the niches were obtained by Mr W. King Lucas and put into the niches in 1910. The pulpit bears the initials of Abbot John Petherton of Athelney and Vicar William Singleton.

The wooden rood screen, which runs across the chancel and aisles, is ornately carved and dates from the late 15th century.  It has been painted in red and blue with the slender tracery painted dark blue and white.  There is a small green owl in the vine above the centre arch.  This may be a pagan symbol relating to the Athena/Minerva, who was the goddess of wisdom.  Alternatively, it may be there to frighten bats.

Pulpit

Pulpit

Statues in niches on the pulpit

Rood screen

Side of the rood screen

Green owl in the centre of the rood screen

Angel roof

Holy Trinity Church

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