This is 13th century and is a rubble build. The tower is a two stage crenellated tower, diagonally buttressed. It has two bell openings, which contain the Somerset Tracery. In actual fact the tower is wider at the base than at the Top. The tower contains 6 bells, but unfortunately at the time of writing [2006] these cannot be used as the death watch beetle has had a good feast on the wooden beams supporting the bells and over time damp has caused a certain amount of damage to the beam structure.
When the ceiling dropped in the ringing chamber in September 1989 it was found that the builder had only secured the centre beam (which held the ceiling in place) with a couple of nails and had not sunk the beam into the wall. When the ceiling was removed a piece of paper containing the name of the plasterer and his labourer was found, dated June 27th 1909 J. Edbrooke plasterer 49 years of age and P.J.CooK 22 years of age who was the labourer.
On removal of the ceiling it was found that a variety of sound proofing materials had been used between the ceiling and the layer above. On further investigation it was found that there was another ceiling above the original and the sound proofing material used here was sawdust. All the layers of soundproofing and ceilings were removed in order to investigate the extent of death-watch beetle attack and wood rot.
Because the tower was built largely of porous local sandstone, in 1682 the church south aisle and tower was "ruf cast rendered using lyme, graivile and sundry burshells of heaire."
Extracts from the Churchwardens accounts of 1682:-
| . | . | . | . | . |
| Feb. 20th | It for fower Hogsheads and halfe of lyme to ruf cast the church | £1 | 1s | 4d |
| . | It for six burshells of heaire and fetching it. | . | 4s | 8d |
| . | It for 2 harffes and a man one day to fetch graivile to ruf cast the church | . | 2s | 6d |
| March 3rd | It for fower scoare and five foots of boards to make a cradle to rufe cast ye tower. | . | 10s | 7d |
| . | It fower pounds of Board naile to make it . | . | 1s | 8½d |
| . | It for five bushels of Heaire to plaster the tower and fetching it. | . | 3s | 1¼d |
| . | It for fower Hogsheads of Lyme and fetching. | . | 18s | 0d |
| . | It given them in Beare while ruf casting. | . | 2s | 6d |
| . | It paid John Burt towards the ruf casting of the church and tower | £3 | 10s | 0d |
| . | . | . | . | . |
In the 19th century the access to the bell ringing chamber was changed from the narrow entrance behind a statue of Elijah to the outside of the tower, where a flight of brick steps was constructed on the South side of the tower and a doorway constructed. A number of the stone steps were removed and the entrance to the bells from inside of the church was blocked by a wall. This allowed the Elijah statue to be placed in the entrance - see lower image.
A century or more later it was realized by the present church wardens that there was a massive problem of dampness in the area of the old tower access, both in the tower itself and at the west end of the South Aisle. This dampness appeared to be caused by the external brick steps, which had no damp course. In 2005 the brick steps were removed, Elijah's statue was moved to the church floor at the base of the tower and the old entrance door and steps to the ringing chamber replaced. After a heavy storm it was found that a pool of water had formed in the entrance to the tower on the new steps. The damp had been caused for many years by rain running off the stone roof of the tower steps. When a rain gutter was introduced, the puddles stopped and we hope the damp.
In 2006 a faculty was obtained from the Diocese of Bath and Wells;
- To allow the five smaller bells to be tuned at Whitechapel.
- To manufacture a metal frame to support the bell frame and the rotten support beams, which have to be retained.
- Manufacture new safety ladders to the bells and tower roof.
- Renew all fittings of the bells.
- Manufacture and fit a bell rope frame to allow ringing from the church floor.
- Fit a timber floor under the supporting beams of the bell frame.
All this will cost £24,000, raised by donations and grants. The North and Eastern Sound windows have to be repaired.