Church Of St Mary

TARRANT GUNVILLE ST 9212 -

9/35 Church of St Mary 14.7.55 GV II*

Parish church, nave, aisles and south porch of late C14 origin, west tower C15, partially rebuilt C16. Remainder of church and general restoration 1843 to 1845. C19 work by T H Wyatt. Flint with random squared rubble blocks, banded flint and ashlar with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with stone copings. Plan: nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, south porch and north vestry. Fenestration:medieval and C19 work generally in the Perpendicular style, of 2 lights with square heads and labels with carved stops. The east chancel window is of 3 lights under a pointed head. The north and south chancel walls have lancets. Weathered buttresses, some original, in various locations. Interlaced round-headed wall arcading reset in north aisle. 3 stage tower with battered plinth and embattled parapet separated by weathered strings, that to parapet bearing gargoyles; C19 octagonal vice turret north; diagonal buttresses to first 2 stages, pilaster strips above; 2-light, pointed belfry windows. Gabled south porch with pointed arch of 2 chamfered orders with pointed cinque- foiled niche above; inscribed sundial to right of door. Nave has clerestorey with 2-light windows.

Internally: the C19 arcades of 5 bays have pointed arches of 2 chamfered orders on circular piers with moulded capitals. C19 pointed chancel arch of 2 chamfered orders on rounded responds with moulded capitals. Pointed tower arch of 2 chamfered orders on polygonal responds with moulded capitals. C19 traceried king post and tie-beam roof to nave. Chancel has C19 scissor-truss. C19 traceried pulpit. C19 octagonal stone font with quatrefoil panels. Some early glass reset. C18 and C19 monuments. C19 stencilled chancel decoration. Other fittings largely C19/20. (RCHM, Dorset, vol.IV, p.88-90, no.1. Newman, J. and Pevsner, N. The Buildings of England: Dorset, p.416/7.)

Listing NGR: ST9251912670