Church House

Church House is a mid-16th century building, restored in 1913-14, originally used as a church house and now serving as a village hall. It is constructed of limestone rubble with a gable-ended slate roof set on a chamfered stone cornice. There are three rubble stacks: a corbelled stack on the left-hand gable, a projecting stack on the right-hand gable, and a projecting lateral stack at the front. The original layout likely comprised two rooms, one larger and heated by the lateral stack, and a smaller room heated by the gable stack. A newel staircase is located in the larger room opposite the fireplace. A single room was probably situated on the first floor, heated by the corbelled gable end stack. Access to the first floor is provided by an external stone staircase at the rear, as well as the newel stairs on the same wall.

The front facade is asymmetrical, featuring a four-window arrangement with 2, 3, and 4-light early 20th century wooden mullioned windows, each with four-centred arched heads and leaded panes. Wooden lintels are present. The wall projects slightly towards the right-hand end, and includes an original, heavy, round-headed, chamfered wooden doorframe at ground floor level. To its left is a similar, narrower, early 20th century reproduction doorway. The chimney projects to the left of centre. A 19th century outshut is positioned against the right gable end.

The interior features good quality beamed ceilings to the ground floor rooms, with chamfered cross beams and similarly decorated joists, along with stop-chamfered step stops. Some beams rest on chamfered wood corbels. A half beam at the right-hand gable end has pyramid stops. The fireplaces are now blocked. The roof timbers date from the early 20th century restoration and include exposed common rafters up to collar height. An original square-headed wooden doorframe to the newel stairs survives on the first floor, chamfered with masons's mitres. Stone newel stairs are also present. Documentary evidence indicates that in 1542 the Abbot of Sherborne donated a parcel of land to the parish church of Abbotskerswell, on which this church house was built. Despite the 20th century restoration, the church house remains largely unaltered in its form, preserving good quality internal features which may also be concealed. It represents a good example of its type, situated in a prominent location in the village centre.