(quote)."Suger had worked closely with Louis VI in establishing the French State, and he advanced the idea that the Church was the spiritual defender of the realm. This had a particular importance for the abbey of St. Denis, which was not only the traditional burial ground of the Kings of France but also the holder of the regalia-the crown, tunic, sword and spurs that were employed in the coronation service. Suger seems to have embodied the concept of defensor regni in the facade, which is massive and is dominated by a crenelated parapet recalling the fortifications of a castle"(end quote).

These parapets are "merlon"< Latin "murus" wall, and are seen as the corner towers of a castle battlement. The shape is emphasised in UK Somerset church towers.

(quote)"From a study of the pinnacle arrangement the merlons (upright parts of the battlement),the parapet, tower belfry and windows, and comparing these features with other Somerset towers, the lineage and date of the Hatch Beauchamp tower can be established very accurately. Mr. Poyntz Wright gives the date as circa 1493, with a tolerance of plus or minus five years.
The Pinnacle Arrangement. This is a perfect example of the fully developed West Somerset pinnacle plan. It consists of a cluster of five pinnacles at each corner, made up of a large pinnacle set square with the tower plan and surrounded by four subsidiaries, each one attached lightly to each corner of the main shaft"(end quote).