Church Of St Mary

SY 49 NW PILSDON PILSDON 11-11-1966 6/188 CHURCH OF ST MARY

GV I

Former parish church, now private chapel. Late C14, with major restorations in 1830 and c.1875. Nave and chancel. North vestry, south porch. Rubble-stone walls, with large diagonal buttresses at east and west ends, and single buttresses on north and south walls. Slate roof with stone gable-copings, and carved kneelers. Cl9 stone sanctus bell-cote at west gable, corbelled out and with four-centred bell-openings to east and west. Crenellated parapet with good gargoyles to parapet string. Stone octagonal spirelet with poppy-leaf finial. Single storey. 3 windows and south porch. Windows are 2-light, trefoil-cusped, with panel tracery over. Labels with intact C14 head-stops. East window, of 5-lights, with cusped panelling over. Label with head-stops of King and bishop. South porch, Cl9 with C14 jambs to inner door. Coursed rubble stone with a slate roof and stone gable-coping. Apex-cross. Bracket-moulded jambs and depressed-arch head. Inner doorway, with pointed head and chamfered jambs. Interior: Aisleless. Pointed chancel-arch with 2 orders of responds with plain capitals and wide hallow chamfer. All windows have rere-arches. Piscina: in chancel, cinquefoiled head, crocketed and finialed ogee label, octagonal drain in rounded projection on short shaft and head corbel, late C14. Medieval head- corbel grimacing, chancel. Four carved stone heads, set in side- walls, immediately west of chancel-arch, possibly to carry former rood-beam. Source: R.C.H.M. Dorset I, p 179(1).

Listing NGR: SY4147199550