Church Of The Holy Rood

SHILLINGSTONE ST 8211 CHURCH ROAD

9/61 Church of the Holy Rood 4-10-60 GV I

Parish church, nave and chancel early C12, chancel arch C14, west tower and partial refenestration late C15, porch C16, restoration of 1858, north aisle and chapel of 1888, further alterations of 1902. 1888 work by F W Hunt, 1902 work by Bedley. Rubble, flint, banded flint and rubble and ashlar. Tiled roofs with stone copings and kneelers. Plan: nave; chancel; west tower; north aisle and chapel; south porch. West tower: 2 stage separated by weathered string; rectangular southern vice; embattled parapet; diagonal buttresses of 4-weathered stages; west door with moulded 4-centred head and continuous jambs with label having carved shield stops; 5-light Perpendicular traceried west window under - pointed head with label; 2-light belfry windows under pointed heads with stopped labels; sundial to vice. South nave wall has two 5-light C15 windows with straight heads and Perpendicular tracery; higher up a C12, narrow round headed window. South chancel wall has 2 C19, pointed, 2-light windows with curvilinear tracery under returned labels. East chancel window has C19 5-light, pointed window with idiosyncratic tracery. The east chapel window and west aisle windows pointed with 5 lights and Perpendicular tracery under returned labels. North chapel windows square headed, of one and 2 cinquefoiled, transomed lights. The north aisle has C19 square-headed Perpendicular windows of 2 and 5 lights. II South porch gabled with a pointed arch of 2 chamfered orders and continuous Jambs.

Interior features; C19 5-bay arcade with pointed arches of 2 chamfered orders on octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases; above are 3 reset C12 windows, one blocked; pointed chancel arch of 2 roll-moulded orders dying into responds; tower arch of 2 chamfered orders dying into responds; chancel and nave have pointed and guilded C19 ribbed barrel roofs; aisle and chapel have collar beam trusses; C17 octagonal pulpit with bolection mouldings and arabesques on C20 plinth; Cl3 Purbeck marble font with square basin and round headed panels on central drum with angle shafts; C19 ogee headed piscina; C19 pews; C19 glass; C18 and C19 monuments especially to Eliza Action 1817 - wall tablet with kneeling woman by Chantry; coffin lid reset on wall with incised effigy of man flanked by sun and moon; lozenge carved stone reset over south door; other fittings largely C19. (RCHM, Dorset, vol.III, p.238-240, no. 1. Newman, J. and Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England, Dorset, 1972, p.]91.)

Listing NGR: ST8247211468