Parish Church Of St Mary

ST 6601 CERNE ABBAS ABBEY STREET, (east side)

11/45 Parish Church of 26.1.56 St Mary

GV I

Parish Church. C14 chancel, with east wall rebuilt C17, C15 and early C16 aisle walls south porch partly rebuilt, west tower within the body of the church, early C16. Clearstorey added early C16. Wall above stone screen removed, and existing arch built in 1870, when church restored under T H Wyatt. Recent C20 restorations, nave roof. Stone and flint rubble walls, with some ashlar and freestone dressings. Lead-covered roofs. Chancel extends one bay east of aisles, north wall has single- light window with trefoiled head, C14,and a blocked one in south wall. 6-light east window, C15 reset. Aisles, 5 windows to north aisle, and 4 windows to south aisle, of 3 lights in Perpendicular form, later to west; windowsat east and west ends of aisles, each of 3-lights. West tower, Ham stone ashlar, of 3 stages, with octagonal buttresses, finials and pinacles, string-courses, ornamented to second stage. Entrance to church through west door, Perp. details, standards and image brackets. 4-light west window. Bell-openings, 3-light transomed and with 'Somerset' stone tracery. South porch has a C15 outer archway with moulded jambs and 4-centred head. Panel in the parapet with "C W Willi Tulledge, Tho Dussell, 1696", (date of restoration). Interior: 4 bay nave, with late Perp. piers and pointed arches. Chancel-arch, 1870, formerly solid wall. Roof: formerly of low pitch, with tie-beams and short king-posts, rebuilt without ties, C20. Fittings: Font: octagonal bowl with chamfered under edge, medieval, stem and base modern. Pulpit: oak, octagonal with enriched rails and cornice, sounding board, dated 1640. Stone screen to chancel, 6 lights each side and central doorway, C15. Wall-paintings, chancel, four scenes from life of St John Baptist, Cl4. Cl7 paintings and inscription in north aisle. Monuments and wall- tablets, extensive of Cl7 and C18. For further details of fittings, refer to: (RCHM Dorset I, p74(1). F Pitfield, Dorset Churches A-D, 157-160).

Listing NGR: ST6659301216