Parish Church Of St Thomas A Becket

PULHAM ST 70 NW 8/163 Parish Chukch of St Thomas a Becket 4.10.60 GV II* Parish Church, chancel, west tower and crossing arches substantially C15, porch and nave arcades C16, north and south aisles and vestry together with general restoration C19. South aisle windows of 1870 by Rev F C Hingeston-Randolph. Coursed rubble, coursed squared rubble and ashlar with ashlar dressings. Tiled, gabled-ended roofs to nave and chancel, slated, gable-ended roofs to north aisle and vestry. Plan; nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, north vestry and 2 storey south porch. The C15 church was probably cruciform. C15 and C16 work in the 'perpendicular' style, C19 work partly 'perpendicular' and partly 'decorated'. West tower; 2-stages separated by string course; embattled parapet; vice tower with single loop to north ; 2 upper stage 2-centred light 'perpendicular' windows with hood moulds and pierced stone panels; diagonal buttresses. West door and window; doorway appears to have been inserted below C15 west window and has a moulded round head with continuous jambs together with a label with interesting carved stops; the window is of 3-lights under a 2-centred head with a label having C18 bishop and king head stops. (c.f. Fifehead Neville church). South aisle windows are all of 2-trefoiled lights with cinqufoils under 2-centred heads with returned labels. 3 north aisle windows are of 4 trefoiled lights under flat heads with returned labels. West north aisle window of 2-trefoiled lights under a 2-centred head having a label with C18 head stops. East window of 3-trefoiled lights with cinqufoils. South aisle has moulded ashlar parapet with gargoyles. South porch; diagonal buttresses and west ashlar vice turret; elliptical headed arch with continuous moulded jambs; parapet with gargoyles; inner doorway has 2-centred head with continuously moulded jambs. Internal features; 4-bay, 2-centred nave arcades, eastern arch probably part of C15 crossing and bears head corbels, other piers have oak leaf carved capitals; western aisle arches spring from corbels showing renaissance influence; squints to aisles; 2-centred, moulded tower arch with small head stops and plain jambs; 2-centred chancel arch springing from head corbels. C15 sedilla- reset niche having pinnacles with crocketted finials. C12 cylindrical font with incised round headed arches on later shafts. Nave and chancel haven waggon roofs, aisles have boarded, sloping roofs. C12 carved head on reverse of tower vice door head. Some reset Cl5 glass. Other fittings C19 and C20. "RCHM, Dorset, vol III", pp 231-3, no 1. Newman J and Pevsner N. 'The Buildings of England: Dorset", Penguin, 1972, pp 351-2.

Listing NGR: ST7116908518