Parish Church Of St Mary

ST 3703 7/101

THORNCOMBE, FORE STREET (north side), Parish Church of St Mary

GV II

Church. Built in 1866-7 by James Mountford Allen in perpendicular style. Nave with North and South aisles. South transept; chancel; West Tower; South porch; Vestry at North-East Corner. Rubble masonry with some freestone blocks. Stone dressings for plinths, window surrounds, strings, parapets. Slate roof. Exterior: moulded plinths, strings, labels with some head stops, embattled parapet. Windows of 2-4 lights with panel, tracery over ogee trefoil-cusped main lights. South transept window with Y-tracery; East window with Through King-mullions. Tower of 4 stages with diagonal buttresses and stair-turret in North-East angle. West door. Large perp-style bell-openings. Interior: Nave with 4-bay arcade. Piers: each of 4 equal straight-chamfered responds with sunk quadrants in the diagonals. Plain capitals with moulded abaci and neckings. Chancel arch carried on 2 orders of responds with still-leaf capitals. Strainer-arch set transversely between arcade wall and South trancept South wall. Nave roof of alternate tie-beam and arch-traced collar construction carried on carved stone corbels. Through purlins with ashlaring at wall-plate. Chancel roof of arch-braced construction, ceiled and carried on angel-corbels. Interior features: Font, re-used stone block of capital shape on a stone base. Bowl possible C12. Brasses: of Sir Thomas Brook (d1419) and his wife Dame Joan Brook (1437) Full-length: Sir Thomas with SS collar. Inscription on rectangular margin intact, recording dates of death. Relaid and restored in 1867. Pulpit oak, 13-sided with linen-fold panels in 2 tiers, early C16, some replaced panels. Communion Table, late C16, walnut with bulbous turned legs supporting Ionic capitals. Reading Desk: C17. Flemish-style, with caryatids and foliage decoration. Stained glass: North aisle window in memory of Rev C A Bragge (d1923) and wife Emily. The church is set well back in the churchyard from Fore Street and forms a group. Sources R.C.H.M. Dorset I, p. 239(1).

Listing NGR: ST3759903346