Listed Building: PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARTIN (106230)

CHESELBOURNE ST 79 NE 5/42 Parish of St Martin 26.1.56 GV I Parish church. Nave and south aisle late C13. Chancel, early C14. West tower, mid C15 and the chancel arch rebuilt at that time. North aisle and north porch added late C15. South porch built c1500. Restorations in 1874 and 1924. Flint walls with ashlar dressings and occasional bonding courses of squared rubble. Roofs of clay-tiles,stone-slates and lead. Chancel, C14 east window of three graduated lancets with trefoil cusping with moulded outer label and segmental rear arch. North wall, two windows with a blocked C14 doorway between them. South wall contains two 2-light windows (RCHM for details). Two squints into the chancel. West tower, mid C15, heightened later in 15th century. 3 stages, divided by weathered strings. West window is of 3 trefoil-headed lights with large quatrefoil tracery in a 2-centred head, with 4-centred hollow-chamfered rear arch. W wall of second stage has a plain single light with a square head, each wall of the 3rd stage has a casement moulded belfry window of two trefoil ogee-headed lights with a quatrefoil in a pointed head. The lower half of each belfry window is closed by a pierced stone screen decorated with quatrefoils. North aisle, north wall towards the east end a large 2-centred window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with vertical tracery beneath label with square stops. North doorway, moulded 4-centred head, with the mouldings continuing down the jambs to shaped stops. West of this, a square headed window of two cinquefoil ogee-headed lights under vertical tracery, with a moulded label with return stops; all late OS openings. North porch, late C15. South aisle, C13, with C15 window insertion, (RCHM). Nave, with irregular arcades. N arcade dates from latter C15, and consists of 2 pointed arches, each of two hollow-chamfered orders and springing from an octagonal central pier with a moulded cap and hollow-chamfered base. S arcade: central pier and the narrow pointed arch west of it, late C13; circular pier, with moulded capital and base of Purbeck marble. The adjacent respond to the west is a similar half pier with pointed arch. Pointed eastern arch has much greater height and span (RCHM for details). Fittings: font octagonal straight-sided Purbeck marble bowl with chamfered under-edge and 2 slightly sunk lancet headed recesses to each face; shaped octagonal stem with chamfered base; sockets for circular shafts; bowl and base c1200, stem c C15. Piscinae in chancel and south aisle, C15 and c1500. Screen: in tower arch, oak, centre opening and a bay on either side in 2 heights, C16 made up with C20 material. Stair: in west tower, late medieval (RCHM). Pulpit: octagonal, oak, with 6 panelled sides in two heights with moulded framing, lower panels plain, upper panels fielded and with strapwork, c1630, stone base C20. Sundials: above south porch arch, rectangular stone slab with Roman numerals, inscribed HC 1631 WM, with wrought iron gnomon. For monuments and floor slabs, see RCHM p75, col 2. (RCHM Dorset III, p74(1)) Listing NGR: SY7621699587

Record last edited

Sep 19 2019 9:48AM