Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

Remains of Dore Abbey, now serving as a parish church. The building dates from the late 12th to early 13th century. It was substantially restored in 1633 for John, Viscount Scudamore, with woodwork by John Abel, and underwent further restoration between 1895 and 1904 by R W Paul. The church is constructed of red sandstone rubble and ashlar with grey limestone dressings, a timber-framed porch, and stone slate roofs. The alignment runs north-west to south-east.

The main plan comprises a transept with eastern chapels, a three by three bay chancel, north and south chancel aisles of three bays, and a two by five bay ambulatory with former eastern chapels. The upstanding roofless remains include the eastern bay of the nave, part of the north wall of the nave aisle, the sacristry, and an adjacent fragment of the western corner of a duodecagonal chapter house.

Exterior

The transept's west elevation features a blocked two-centred arch to the crossing with single aisle arches. The former contains a central two-centred single-light 17th-century window, with a small lancet above the scar of each nave aisle roof. Outside each of these is a tall lancet. A 17th-century corbel table is present, along with a trumpet capital supported by a decorative corbel on the north nave pier and a waterleaf capital to the western respond.

The south elevation displays a pair of very tall shafted lancets with waterleaf capitals surmounted by a vesica window, all surrounded by deep roll mouldings and flanked by large buttresses with offsets. The right-hand buttress contains a newel with loop lights, two lancets, and a gable-top, probably 17th century in date.

The north elevation has a high blocked doorway of a former night stair and a 17th-century doorway at ground level. In front of this lies the barrel-vaulted sacristry and bases of shafts to a corner of the chapter house.

The north and south aisles have two by two bays of chamfered lancets divided by weathered buttresses with deeply moulded plinths and linked by billet-moulded strings that rise to gables, truncated by 17th-century roof alterations. The north doorway, set beneath a diminished lancet in the third bay from the east, has a 13th-century plank door with ornate strap hinges. The east wall of the ambulatory and former eastern chapel follows a similar design to the aisles, featuring keel-moulded strings.

The chancel has single-light lancets to the north and south. Its east wall contains three stepped chamfered lancets and two more lancets (probably 17th century) above, lighting the roof space. A 17th-century corbel table is present.

The south-east tower is embattled and four stages high, with one central chamfered lancet to the first stage of the south and east faces, and similarly positioned round-headed single-light windows to the third and fourth stages. A string course runs beneath the parapet, with angle buttresses to the south-east corner.

The transeptal south porch has quadrant braces to the front tie-beam above which are V-struts, suggesting a 17th-century date. The rear tie has its underside carved away to clear the doorway, with quadrant braces missing. The south-west post carries an incised key-hole pattern on its west side. Side panels are roughly square, two panels high to the wall plate. The south doorway has a two-centred deeply moulded arch with one keel-moulding, a dog-tooth hood mould, and single attached shafts with stiff leaf capitals. The door is battened and studded with two decorative wrought iron strap hinges.

Interior

The roof features oak ceilings by Abel, incorporating some reused timbers from the pre-Dissolution roof. Consoles rest on oak wall shafts rising from 12th-century wall shafts which formerly supported vaulting to the cross wing and transepts. These carry angle struts to moulded and chamfered ceiling beams, with wall plates also moulded and chamfered. The chancel roof, restored in 1902, is similar but more elaborate, featuring grotesque female consoles, carved angle struts, and acorn pendants. The aisles, ambulatory, and former five eastern chapels have exquisite quadripartite vaults, with the last two separated by four groups of clustered shafts rising from dividing walls.

The chancel has deeply moulded two-centred arches and fourteen clustered shafts to piers dividing the east end into three bays. The two eastern bays follow a similar style, whilst the western bay has narrower and higher double chamfered two-centred arches, resulting from the conversion of former inner transeptal eastern chapels into aisles. Notable features include magnificent water-holding bases, keel-moulded shafts, and capitals with trumpet, water-leaf, and acanthus motifs.

The screen separating the chancel from the transept dates from the 17th-century campaign and has four bays divided by Ionic columns with a central entry, deep cornice, and strapwork decoration. The Royal Arms of Charles I appear between those of Scudamore and Archbishop Laud. The dado has posts with curved run-out chamfer stops. Stalls and benches feature early 17th-century panelling with arabesque designs. A contemporary hexagonal pulpit has two arcade devices to each face, strapwork decoration, and a tester.

The east windows contain stained glass for Lord Scudamore, dated 1634, with the large central window depicting the Ascension. A mensa with consecration crosses is positioned on two sets of reused clusters of shafts from the 13th century, with heraldic tiles to each side. Early 17th-century communion rails with matching balustered rails divide the chancel from the north and south aisles, with another rail of similar design in front of a 17th-century communion table.

Fragments of late medieval stained glass appear in the south-east chapel of the ambulatory, which contains a large trefoiled aumbry in the north wall and numerous fragments from the nave, including several 14th-century roof bosses, one depicting the Coronation of the Virgin.

The north and south aisles each contain a 13th-century recumbent effigy of a knight. The south aisle holds a large dug-out sarcophagus, two hatchments, and two aumbries in the south wall, each with a two-centred head.

A chapel to the south of the tower has a trefoil-headed piscina with two circular drains, with a trefoiled aumbry to its right. Between these is a small niche with a two-centred head and fragments of medieval glass.

The transept features a 17th-century doorway with a two-centred head and a 17th-century door to the newel of the tower. A dog-tooth surround frames a rectangular cupboard with 17th-century panelled doors in the south wall. A 17th-century poor-box and 17th-century chest are present. Against the west wall is a gallery supported on four columns similar to those of the screen, with a panelled superstructure and balustered stairs at the south end. The Royal Arms of Queen Anne are painted on the north wall to the right of the doorway to the former night stairs. Several other wall paintings and wall and floor monuments, mainly 18th century, are present throughout.

The font has an octagonal bowl with a moulded underside running down to a plain octagonal stem. Medieval floor tiles surround its base.

The church is designated as Scheduled Ancient Monument County number 185.