Church Of St Mary

ST 7318 STALBRIDGE CHURCH HILL (WEST SIDE)

6/10 (21/1) CHURCH OF ST MARY 2.10.60 GV II*

Parish Church. Nave, arcades and remains of North trancept late C14, North chapel and chancel arcade early C16, North aisle 1838, tower 1868, chancel, old vestry and other restoration 1878. Tower by Rev Henry Boucher, 1878 work by T H Wyatt. Walls partially of dressed, squared and coursed rubble, with ashlar dressings and partially of coursed rubble. Nave roof slated, chapel and vestry roofs tiled. Nave with North and South aisles (North aisle incorporating former North trancept); South trancept; South porch with tower over; Chancel with North chapel and former vestry to South. Vestry arcade and entrance to South arcade now blocked and converted to parish room. Generally in perpendicular style with north chapel and former vestry in its C16 variant. South front has castellated tower of 4 stages over porch with diagonal stepped butresses, crocketted pinnacles and slightly projecting ashlar stair tower. Porch has moulded ogee arch with label having floriated finial and stops; 2nd stage has panelled tracery window under 2-centred arch; 3rd stage has clock; 4th stage has 2 lancets to bell loft and attached pinnacles to butresses. Apart from former vestry and North chapel which have mainly square headed cusped and uncusped windows with square labels windows are generally of panel tracery under 2-centred arches-with cinqufoiled lights. Remains of earlier window in East facade of North chapel. Internally 4-bay C14 nave arcades; 3-bay C16 chancel arcade and North chapel arch with carved winged figures in capitals and former rood-vice doorway in respond; C14 piscina in South trancept. Wagon roofs to nave, chancel and North trancept; angled wagon roof to South trancept; flat ribbed roof to North chapel and aisle; sloping ribbed roof on corbels to South aisle. Possibly medieval timbers above existing ceiling. Various monuments including late C15 or early C16 table tomb with cadaver effigy. Early C13 front. Pulpit, screen and most fittings C19. RCHM 'Dorset Vol III', HMSO 1970, p247-249; Newman J and Pevsner, 'Buildings of England: Dorset', Penguin 1972, p395-396; Jones, Irene 'A Short History of Stalbridge and St Mary's Church' n.d.

Listing NGR: ST7334618190