Parish Church Of St Osmund

SY 7282 OSMINGTON CHURCH LANE (west side) 13/24 Parish Church of 26.1.56 St Osmund GV II*

Parish Church. C15 west tower. Most of the rest of the church rebuilt in 1846, retaining the medieval chancel arch and north arcade. Goodhart- Rendel ascribed the design to Benjamin Ferrey. Coursed and squared rubblestone walls. Window dressings of Ham Hill. Slate roofs. West tower of two stages externally and 3 storeys internally with a projecting vice. Angle buttresses to the east which project into the nave, and diagonal buttresses to the west. West window of 3 lights with restored mullions and moulded vertical tracery in a pointed head with label and stops. Top stage has in each wall a 2 light window with blind tracery in a pointed head under a moulded label. C15 doorway to the vice in north wall has a restored, chamfered head. Nave: has a north arcade of four two centred arches of two chamfered orders, the piers have four engaged shafts with moulded capitals and bases, separated by hollow chamfers, c.1300. The south arcade is a copy of the north arcade. The north aisle, rebuilt in 1846 with old storework for walling, and new windows, two stage buttresses. North windows are of 2 cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil and pierced spandrels in a pointed head with a label. South aisle, similar in design and date. South door has chamfered jambs and pointed head. South porch as an outer two centred archway with continuous moulded jambs. Chancel has 2 stage buttresses at the eastern corners. East window of 3 lights with vertical tracery in a pointed head with label. South doorway. Interior: chancel arch is two centred and of two chamfered orders. To the west the outer order springs from engaged shafts with moulded bases, scalloped capitals and chamfered abaci, c.1200. Tower arch, two centred and of two wave moulded orders, with inner order dying into the jambs. Roofs: nave has arch braced collar beam trusses springing from stone corbels. Chancel has king post trusses with arch braces springing from stone corbels, and hind braces. Fittings: font, square stone bowl with sunk arched panels in each side, cylindrical stem with four smaller shafts on restored base, c.1200. Coffin lid in floor of nave, with cross in low relief, C14. Benefactors table, tower, painted panel of the charity of Mrs S Toogood 1826. Monuments and floor slabs, numerous, see R.C.H.M. (R.C.H.M. Dorset II, p. 179 (1)).

Listing NGR: SY7241982980