Parish Church

CHURCH HILL 1. 5190 Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin SZ 0278 NE 5/35 26.6.52 (formerly listed as Church of St Mary) II GV

1. The tower is medieval. The rest of the Church was rebuilt by T H Wyatt in 1859-60 and enlarged in 1906-8 by Clifton and Robinson (Pevsner). Purbeck Stone walls and roofs. In plan, the Church has nave, north aisle of 2 bays, transepts, chancel, organ chamber at east end of north aisle, south porch and west tower. There are galleries in the transepts. The 3 lower stages of the tower are of the C14, and the top stage c 1620. It is a plain structure, unbuttressed with small plain windows and a parapet without battlements. The roof is lead covered. The body of the Church is in a Gothic Revival style. The nave and aisle have separate gabled roofs, with a central valley gutter. The main entrance is at the west end of the aisle and has a shallow portico with a doorway in Early English style. Above this is a large window with Perpendicular tracery. The nave and aisle window are of similar design. There are rose windows in the organ chamber and transept sables. An octagonal turret with stone spire adjoins the north transept. Internally, the walls are plastered. The roofs are of pine, of arch-braced collar-beam design. A number of C18 wall monument survive from the earlier Church. C19 marble font. The churchyard is below the level of the adjoining ground to the south. Purbeck Stone retaining wall to boundary, with iron railings and gates. RCHM Monument 1.

Listing NGR: SZ0272378776