St Saviour’s twelfth century church in Puxton, Somerset is such a simple place, and yet has a great beauty about it because of the simplicity. It is full of light because of all the windows, none of which were stained glass. It has old Georgian box pews, and a boxed octagonal pulpit and a reading desk which are Jacobean. Just near the pulpit is a wrought iron frame which once held an hour-glass so the vicar knew how long his sermons were taking! Originally there were wall paintings, so although it looks very plain today, in the past it must have been much brighter.
Hanging on the walls are huge boards bearing the ten commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, benefaction boards and one bearing the royal arms of King George III.
According to the little guide book we bought, ‘the nave roof, with principal rafters supporting side pirlins, replaced an earlier roof’. I have no idea what purlins are but below the lowest tier of them ‘the ends of the plain-chamfered principals enter directly into the walls… Below is a picture so you can see what it means!!!
Lois Elsden 