Remaining Norman features in St Michael's church, Brent Knoll.
"Brent Knoll is in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, 2 miles NE of Burnham-on-Sea. The name of the village is taken from the hill topped by a hillfort that rises immediately to the east.
The village of Brent Knoll follows the lane around the base of Brent Knoll, from its NW sector to its S, where it joins the main A38 trunk road from Bristol to Taunton. The M5 runs only a few hundred yards further east. Brent Knoll is an Upper Lias protrusion above the dominant Middle Lias of the area, 456 feet (139m) high at its summit, mainly surrounded by the Somerset levels, it is perhaps the most prominent landmark in this part of the county. It bears the marks of agricultural and military exploitation from prehistoric times. The manor house and church hug the lower slopes of its relatively sheltered SW flank. It is about 2 miles from the present shoreline of the Bristol Channel to the W. On a clear day it is visible from well down the Channel. Unfortunately, views from the church are limited except to the south, and these are impeded by trees and housing. The church consists of a nave with a separately roofed N aisle and a S porch, a S transept (now the vestry), a chancel and a W tower. Romanesque features are the S nave doorway, a pillar piscina in the N aisle and the font.
Brent Knoll (otherwise South Brent) and East Brent were assessed together in 1086. They were held by the abbot of Glastonbury from well before the Conquest. Before 1066 this holding paid tax for 20 hides, of which 4 hides were in lordship. It also contained 20 acres of meadow and its inhabitants numbered 5 slaves, 50 villans and 47 bordars. In 1086 Roger (of Courseulles) held 1 hide from the Abbot, Ralph (of Conteville) 5 virgates, Aelfric (son of Everwacer) 5 virgates and Godwin (the priest) 1½ hides. Those who held from the Abbot before 1066 could not be separated from the church.
The church of South Brent (= Brent Knoll) was granted by the Abbot of Glastonbury to Wells cathedral 1173x80 as a prebend for the archdeacon of Wells, the initial recipient being Thomas of Earley (alias Agnellus).
South Nave Doorway -
1st order
Continuous with only a shallow inner angle roll.
2nd order
The jambs consist of angle rolls treated as pseudo colonnettes. Bases are present, but without apparent character. The simple capitals, underlined with simple neckings, are decorated with scallops, better preserved on the W side; there are no abaci. The continuation of the order above the capitals, in the arch, is by an angle roll.
3rd order
Jambs and arch are carved with heavy frontal chevron in the form of a broad band flanked by narrow fillets. Jambs and arch are separated by plain chamfered imposts at the level of the middle order capitals. The label is perfunctory. Above the S door are a niche, now empty, and a relieving arch.
Font -
Located towards the W end of N aisle, well free of N wall, on a modern parquet plinth. The bowl and stem are of an unusual quatrefoil design and in very good condition, although the bowl shows many repairs. The mouldings of the font are unusually intricate.
Pillar Piscina -
Fixed to the E wall of the N aisle, just N of the door. The impost on the top and the plinth do not look contemporary with the piscina and will not be described or included in the measurements.
It consists of a cylindrical cable-moulded shaft on a tall roll-hollow base that stands on a later polygonal plinth. The capital is a double-scallop type with very low cones and a high shield section and inscribed ornament in the form of trios of radiating lines on the pointed shields. There is some damage in this area caused by scratching. The cable necking connects with the similar decoration on the shaft but rotates in the opposite sense. On top of the capital is a heavy chamfered block (possibly a later addition) containing the bowl."
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