Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

Anglican parish church begun in 1815 and consecrated on 23 March 1817. Designed by James Hamilton, with a major restoration carried out in 1922. The building is constructed of Portland stone ashlar, probably on a brickwork core, with a slate roof.

The church is planned as a plain pedimented hall containing the nave, a shallow sanctuary, and galleries on three sides. A square vestibule at the west end is flanked by gallery stairs, though this area was modified in the 20th century by extending a large ante-room under the gallery. At the east end are small vestries and flanking gallery stairs, with a further vestry attached to the south side and later extended. The aisles have been enclosed by screen walls beneath the galleries on both sides.

The exterior displays an austere Palladian design in two storeys beneath a wide, low-pitched roof. The entrance front features a broad central coped gable carrying a square bell turret with entablature and an elliptical leaded cupola on eight slender Doric columns. Below this is the main pedimented front with a plain frieze and ovolo-mould cornice, containing two oculi set on giant Doric pilasters arranged in a 1:2:2:1 rhythm. The first floor has three arched windows, the central light being multi-pane with radial bars, flanked by two-light windows with Bramantesque tracery set to a deep sill band broken at the pilasters. The ground floor comprises three paired fielded panelled doors under decorative fanlights, approached by three stone steps. A plain plinth runs around the entire building.

The north and south sides are nearly identical, with arched windows at first-floor level arranged in a 2:3:2 rhythm, the central group stepped slightly forward. These windows contain cruciform iron armatures and leaded panes set to the deep sill band; on the north side the westernmost window is blind. The ground-floor lights are square, set under tripartite stone lintels and to stooled sills, with iron armature and leading. The main entablature and blocking crown these flanks. Two early round lead downpipes exist on each side. The south side features ventilation openings with cast-iron grilles set below and between the windows and at the plinth. A small contemporary flat-roofed vestry is attached at the east end of the south side, with a later extension. The east end displays a large plain pediment with a blind lunette above three blind arched lights set to the sill band, and at ground floor a central blind light flanked by small six-panel doors under fanlights.

The interior begins with a small square vestibule having a stone floor, matchboard dado, and moulded cornice. A pair of part-glazed doors under a decorative fanlight opens into an inner lobby beneath the gallery, which is supported on four quadrilobed columns. The floor here is partly laid with stone ledger-slabs and partly in wood. Fine six-panel doors in moulded cases flank the vestibule on each side, with a central wide pair of doors between them. Stone dogleg staircases with simple iron balustrades, flanking the vestibule, are accessed both from the external doors and from the inner lobby.

The nave features a plastered segmental vault carried on very flat arches spanning between six quadrilobe-plan cast-iron columns on each side, with flat gallery ceilings beyond. A large plaster rosette is centred to the vault. The windows are set into deep plain embrasures. Four further identical columns support the rear balcony projection, taken only to the underside of the balcony. At half-height, partly concealing the columns, runs a panelled balcony front carried on a three-part entablature; the front extends across the west end through quadrant curves. Each balcony panel bears a low relief painted coat of arms at its centre, including that of Sir Christopher Wren at the west end. Wren served as Member of Parliament for Melcombe Regis in 1685–7 and 1701–2. The aisles, formerly open to the nave, are now enclosed by concrete block walls beneath the gallery, with continuous curtaining to each bay. At the east end, before the sanctuary, recessed quadrants with panelled doors provide access to the vestries and aisles.

The east wall carries a large painting of the Last Supper by Sir James Thornhill, executed on canvas with a segmental head, carefully reflected in the main vault; a long inscription includes the date 1721. Below this stands a flat reredos in three panels, with four fluted Corinthian pilasters framing the Pater Noster, Creed, and Commandments beneath an entablature with dentilled cornice. A lofty pulpit stands to the right; the 20th-century altar table has been brought forward from its original position at the east end of the nave. The organ, positioned in the west gallery, features an early 19th-century case including palmette decoration and a grille behind the organist's seat. At the east end of the south gallery are sections of painted Gothic panelling forming an enclosed room, brought from the demolished Christ Church; this also carries Creed and Commandment painted boards.

The nave is floored with stone to the central aisle and laid with bench pews on a wooden floor, while the raked galleries retain original curved box pews extending from the aisles to the west gallery. Numerous monuments and floor-slabs are recorded in the Royal Commission inventory. Benefactors' boards line each side of the porch. The Royal Arms of George III are positioned at the east end of the north aisle, while the south aisle contains a baroque cartouche with amorini supporting the Arms of Weymouth. Freestanding lion and unicorn figures stand on pedestals.

Most windows contain plain glass, but one light in the south aisle is a war memorial with coloured glass.

Historically, the mother church for the area was St Ann at Radipole. A chantry chapel was located on this site in 1699, but a chapel-of-ease was first built here in 1605, remaining until the rebuilding of 1815, when the old church was demolished through an Act of Parliament. The present church remains substantially as left by Hamilton, except for the enclosure of the under-gallery spaces and the loss of the original nave pews. Sir James Thornhill was born in Melcombe Regis in 1675 and died in Weymouth in 1734. The reredos painting is said to have cost £300.