Church Of St Mary

MOOR CRICHEL ST 90 NE

8/62 Church of St Mary 30.5.72

GV II*

Parish church, now redundant, 1850, chancel of 1886 (Pevsner). Attributed to George Alexander (RCHM), for H C Sturt. Walls of finely jointed ashlar with slate and lead roofs. Cruciform plan with nave, chancel, north transept, south transept and north vestry. Eaves parapet with blind quatrefoils. 2-weathered stage buttresses. Partly Early English, partly Decorated and partly Perpendicular in style. The nave has 4 pointed, 2-light, traceried windows to the north and south walls. West nave window of 3-lights under pointed head. Chancel has a pointed west window of 3-lights with elaborate vertical tracery. The transepts have 3-light windows. The south-west corner of the south transept has an octagonal stone bell-cote with domed cap. West doorway has moulded pointed head and continuous jambs.

Not inspected internally but fitting said to be largely stripped. The chancel is said by Newman and Pevsner to be 'one of the most ambitious in Dorset'. Internal features (from RCHM and Newman and Pevsner): pointed, moulded chancel arch springing from respond shafts; pointed, moulded transept arches with shafted jambs; 8 bay arch-braced hammer-beam roof to nave; 2 bay fan vaulted chancel roof with cusped and moulded panelling and gilded ribs; vestry doorway with elaborate surround; blank stone arcade along east wall of north transept; stone gothic communion rail; 2 tomb recesses with plain tomb-chests in chancel.

The church displays a craftsmanship and contains features which are well above average quality for a mid-Cl9 parish church. (Newman, J and Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 1972, p 299, RCHM, Dorset, vol V, p 40/1, no. 1).

Listing NGR: ST9950808299