The North Porch
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The principle entrance to the church is through the seven-pointed archway of the north porch. Built in the early 14th century the porch has an unusual hexaganol shape and the outside is richly carved, almost Moorish in its appearance. Originally the niches on the outer walls were filled with statues of the kings of England, standing on wonderfully carved corbels depicting townsfolk. The statues have long been lost but the corbels have survived, being removed to the safety of the interior of the church. Copies replaced them during the major restoration of the 19th century.
The inner porch dates from the 12th century with its prominent black Purbeck marble columns, surmounted by capitals boldly carved with leaf motifs. There has been much speculation why this porch was retained when the church was rebuilt. One suggestion is that the niche above the door may have been the original site of the special image of the Virgin Mary. During the victorian restoration several finely decorated tombs were discovered under the floor facing the niche, indicating that this was hallowed ground of special significance. If this is correct, the outer porch may have been built to protect this sacred space.

 

One of the original mediaeval corbels can be seen in the North aisle. It depicts, like many of the others, a townsman struggling to hold the weight of a long lost statue of a king.

Tradition has it that pilgrims and sailors came to this porch to pray to God before an image of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, which was lost during the period of the reformation.The doors on each side of the porch allowed a procession of pilgrims to pass the shrine whilst being observed from the window above. This window looks out from a small but comfortable room that once held a fireplace and still possesses a mediaeval toilet. There is a wide ledge passing round the porch, where perhaps, the offerings of model ships and statues from the seafarers were displayed. Above the vault of the porch, is the muniment room, the ancient strong room of the church, where the records of the parish were orginally stored. This room, from where much of the material for the boy poet Thomas Chatterton may have come, is now known as the Chatteron Room. This has been restored recently and is now in use as a Meeting Room.

The outer porch looking into the inner 13th century porch

The unusual 14th century porch substantially restored by the Victorians who replaced the carved corbels (plinths) with copies