Parish Church Of Canford Magna

Parish Church of Canford Magna

Church. The building comprises a late Saxon minster church, now with 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th and 20th century additions.

The nave of the original late Saxon minster church now forms the chancel of an aisled nave. A tower was added by the Augustinian Canons of Bradenstoke Priory around 1200. The south chancel chapel and south chancel aisle were remodelled in the 14th century. The nave aisles and other alterations were made in the 15th century. The nave was extended westward in 1829 by Edward Blore and remodelled in 1876–78. The north chancel aisle and porches were rebuilt with other alterations made by D Brandon; further 20th century alterations followed.

The building is constructed of coursed limestone and carstone rubble with plain tile roofs.

The plan comprises a chancel, north chancel aisle, north tower, south chancel chapel and aisle, aisled nave, and north and south porches.

Exterior features include a five-light east window of around 1856 with Decorated-style tracery, hoodmould and uncarved labels. The east end of the north chancel aisle has small paired lancet windows. The aisle, rebuilt as a vestry, has a catslide roof with chancel and a similar pair of windows to the north, with a chamfered Carnarvon-arched doorway near the tower. The south chancel chapel, built at right angles to the chancel, has a three-light window to the gable end with rectangular chamfered surround, straight head, trefoil-headed lights and spandrel lights.

The four-stage tower to the west end of the north chancel aisle has lancet windows to the bottom stage with deep chamfered surrounds and a small one-light window to the next stage on the east side with rectangular chamfered surround. The two-light bell-chamber openings have attached shafts outermost and a central shaft with simply carved capitals and roll-moulded round-arched heads within a single chamfered round-headed arch, except to the south side where the window head has been lost. A short top stage has a small one-light window with round-arched head to each side and a plain stone-coped parapet. The tower has closing angle buttresses to the outer angles of the bottom stage and offsets to each stage.

The south chancel aisle has a three-light window with chamfered rectangular surround, straight head, cinquefoil-headed lights and cut spandrels. The nave aisles have catslide roofs, a similar window to north and south, and small lancet windows either side of the porches with cusps to the heads. The north door has two orders of shafts, those outermost of limestone with moulded mid rings and enriched capitals, chamfered imposts and round-arched head; the roll-moulded innermost has a keel-moulded outermost. A 19th century porch has a similar doorway and trefoil windows to the sides in roll-moulded circles. The south door has a similar porch and two orders of shafts with enriched capitals and imposts; the keel-moulded round-arched head is outermost and the trefoil head innermost with cusps and chamfer. The late Saxon west end has small one-light windows to the aisles with chamfered round-arched heads.

The 19th century west bay has shafted lancets either side with foliage capitals and hoodmoulds; that to the north side was converted into a 20th century organ loft inside. A three-light stepped lancet west window has similar shafts and hoodmould, with a wheel window to the gable above having a roll-moulded surround and hoodmould. Stone-coped gables with kneelers and foliated gable crosses to the nave and chancel gables; a sundial is positioned at the apex of the south chancel chapel gable. Offset angle buttresses are present to the aisles.

Interior: The chancel, the former nave of the Saxon minster, has original round-headed archways to the east end on the north and south sides with imposts, formerly leading to porticus. Later round-headed archways are present on the north and south walls either side of low doorways with similar heads; that to the north has a blank tympanum and imposts. Traces of small original windows survive, especially on the south side.

The chancel has 19th century tiled floors and mosaic decoration to the east wall by Salviati with large angels either side of the window, and carved oak choir stalls with lion ends. A fine mid to late 18th century wrought-iron communion rail is present. The chancel arch has a pointed, double-chamfered head dying into piers. The west tower arch has shafts with foliage capitals and nailhead ornament and a stepped pointed arch.

The nave has two arches to the aisles either side with semicircular responds with moulded bases and trumpet-scalloped capitals, roll and keel-moulded round-arched heads and roll-moulded hoodmoulds turned up at the ends. The northwest arch has been replaced by a double-chamfered pointed-arched head. Trefoiled circular openings to the spandrels are 19th century in their present form.

Fittings include a Purbeck marble font with an octagonal bowl with two shallow trefoil-headed panels to each face on an octagonal stem, eight subsidiary circular shafts and an octagonal base. Hanoverian Royal Arms in carved and painted wood are present in the south aisle. 19th century stained-glass windows include the east window and other windows throughout the building.

Memorials comprise a brass inscription plate to Richard Cheke (died 1502); a wall monument to Hendry Constantine of Merley "buried in this aisle with many others of the name and family" (died 1613, aged 28) erected in 1651 by his widow Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Evelyn of Surrey, "in the 38th year of her widowhood", of limestone with segmental pediment and shaped apron; a wall monument to Richard Lloyd, AM, Rector of Winterbourn Selston (died 1732) of white marble with draped cartouche on acanthus bracket with skull and winged cherubs' head.

Three fine wall monuments by Bacon with low relief sculpture in statuary marble on veined grey marble grounds commemorate Samuel Martin (died 1788) with profile portrait head in medallion; Henrietta Mary Wilkie, daughter of James and Sarah Wilkie of Fouldon Berwicks (died 1790) with mourning female and draped urn with coat of arms; and Catherin Willett (died 1798) with female figure leaning her left elbow on an open book on top of a classical altar with the Lamb in low relief, a censer at her feet and above a circlet of flowers in a sunburst framing the symbol of Eternity.

A wall monument to Rev. Robert Henning (died 1798) and Mary his wife is of grey and white marble with Latin inscription and double urns signed H Rouw London. Other early 19th century marble wall monuments by various hands are present, together with later 19th century wall monuments including one to a land agent of Canford estate.

This is a very fine and interesting church; the late Saxon work is of major importance.