Church Of St Aldhelm

The Church of St Aldhelm is a church building, originally the parish church of Belchalwell. Construction occurred in several phases, beginning around 1190 with the south door and part of the south nave wall. The nave arcade, south tower, porch, parts of the chancel, and north aisle windows date to the 15th century. An 18th-century window is located on the south tower. The later 19th century saw the construction of the east and west walls and the north aisle wall.

The church is built of squared coursed rubble, ashlar, and banded stone, with gable eased tiled roofs and stone coping. The plan incorporates a nave, chancel, north aisle, south tower, and south porch. The 15th and 19th century work is in the Perpendicular style, contrasting with the late Norman south door. The south tower is of two stages and features diagonal buttresses, an embattled parapet, an octagonal vice turret to the northeast with a stone roof and gargoyle finial, a plinth, and string courses. Corner standards, with moulded bases and gargoyles, sit above the buttresses. A two-centred window with no tracery and a moulded label with carved head stops is on the south tower wall. The east tower wall has a two-light window with Perpendicular tracery, and the second stage has three two-light square-headed windows. The north face has a similar single-light window. The north aisle and chancel windows are of two cinquefoiled lights with Perpendicular tracery. The west nave window is from the 19th century, of two lights under a two-centred head with Perpendicular tracery.

Inside, the three-bay nave arcade has four-centred moulded arches with traces of old painting. The piers have four attached shafts, separated by a hollow chamfer, with moulded bases and capitals. A two-centred tower arch has blind tracery. A squint from the south tower looks into the chancel. The nave roof is likely 19th century, featuring arch braced collar construction. The chancel roof is pointed and fielded, ribbed, with a single collar and small arch braces. The north aisle has an arched-braced roof. A door to the tower vice has three planks with wrought iron strap hinges. A 17th-century fielded pulpit, featuring arabesques, and a 20th-century font are also present. Other fittings are mainly from the 19th century. The building is noted in historical sources including "RCHM, Dorset vol. III" and “The Buildings of England; Dorset”.