Church Of St Mary

BEAMINSTER CHURCH STREET ST 4701/4801 11-11-66 (SOUTH SIDE) 7/32 CHURCH OF ST MARY GV I

Parish Church. C13, C15 and C16. Nave, north and south aisles, chancel, north east chapel, west tower, south west vestry, north porch. Rubble- stone and ashlar walls, ashlar dressings. Stone slate and lead roofs. C13: east end of north aisle wall, formerly end wall of C13 north transept. C15: north and south aisles, chancel rebuilt. Nave and aisles of 5 bays with 3-light stone mullions with panel tracery in pointed heads. Each bay with a short buttress. Window to organ-chamber, 4 lights with cusped trefoil ogees. Tracery with flattened quatrefoils under a 4-centred head. Plain parapets. Chancel: 2 bays east windows of 5 cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery over. South wall with 2 C15 windows and a priest's doorway. North chapel, rebuilt 1505 by John Hillary of Meerhay. East window, of 4 cinquefoiled ogee lights, modern tracery in a 2-centred head. West tower, early C16. 3 stages, set-back buttresses pinnacled. Course of quatrefoils, above plinth, paterae above first string, coupled bell- openings in top stage and crenellated parapet. Sculpture in tiers: Virgin and Child, flanking niches, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension with flanking figures, divided by crocketed pinnacles. All in second stage. Polygonal newel stair in north east corner fully pinnacled. North porch with diagonal buttresses, string and crenellated parapet, 1860's. Arch with moulded jambs and 4-centred head. South west vestry, mid C16, with reset windows. Interior: Nave arcades, 2 west piers, C15, 2 east piers, C16. Conventional pier-design, 2-centred arches. Nave roof: arch-braced construction, renewed in C19, crenellated wall-plate and one set of purlins. North and south aisles with pentice roof on carved head-stops, c.C17. Chancel roof; also arch-braced Cl9. Chancel-arch, C15, 2-centred of one continuous moulded order. Soffit with double-panels, divided into tiers. Squint to south aisle. Fittings: font, late C12, Purbeck marble with square shallow bowl with round arcading on one side. Round stem with 4 colorettes. Piscinae: chancel, C14, north chapel with C20 cill, south aisle, C13 With trefoiled head and gable. Pulpit: oak, octagonal with 2 tiers of arcaded panels, early C17. Brasses: 6 of C16, C17 and C18 date. Monuments: north aisle, to Danel Cox, 1778, John Cox 1783, Samuel Cox, 1801, brothers, white and grey marble wall monument put up in Samuel's lifetime, with shield-of-arms and standing female figure leaning on urn. 4 other marble wall monuments, including to Richard Symes, barrister, 1783 and family; oval medallion carved with female figure leaning on an urn. South aisle: 'Strode' monuments to Thomas Strode, Sergeant at Law 1698-9, marble with standing figure in wig, gown, side pilasters support cornice etc. R,c.H,t..I. Dorset I, p 17(1)ff. F.P. Pitfield, Dorset Parish Churches (1981) pp 48-52.

Listing NGR: ST4789401249