Monument record MDO4630 - Medieval Church of the Holy Trinity (demolished), Bimport, Shaftesbury

The Church of the Holy Trinity lay within the north eastern part of the abbey precinct and may have its origins as an extra-mural chapel of Shaftesbury Abbey. It was demolished and rebuilt 1840-1842. Remains of the south wall of the medieval church have been found beneath the South Aisle of the present church – see MDO12712 – which was rebuilt on the same site.

(ST 8614 2297) Holy Trinity Church [NAT]. <2> Church of the Holy Trinity. Built 1842 on an earlier site. Cruciform church in 'Transitional' style by Gilbert Scott. Chancel 1908 by Doran Webb. Grade B. <3, 8> Trial excavations within the church, recently declared reduvilant, revealed the greensand wall-foundation and flagstone floors of the earlier church. Its alignment appears to have been slightly to the north of the Scott church. <6> Holy Trinity, Bimport. <4> The Church of the Holy Trinity lay within the northeastern part of the precinct of Shaftesbury Abbey and may have its origins as an extra-mural chapel of the abbey. It is first mentioned in 1302. <7> The parish rights in the nave of the Abbey Church were transferred to Holy Trinity in 1364. <3> A sketch of the abbey ruins made in about 1553 illustrates the medieval church of Holy Trinity as having a simple nave and chancel with a tiled roof and a buttressed west tower topped by a squat spire. <3> It is described by Hutchins as " a chancel, body, and two aisles equal with the chancel and body, and leaded, supported by four arches on each side; and in the body, above the aisles, are three windows on each side : now fastened with shutters, as is also the east window, which is modern. The tower is embattled and pinnacled, and contains four bells. A handsome organ was built by subscription 1764." The church was enlarged, probably by Sir Thomas Arundel in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I. <1> A print of this church dated c 1840 suggests it was a similar size to the present building on the site. <6> The church was demolished and replaced by the present church building in 1841-2. Trial excavations within the nineteenth century church in 1978 after it had been declared redundant revealed the Greensand wall footings of the south wall of the earlier church beneath the South Aisle. This was associated with a stone flag floor. <6>

Record last edited

Jun 27 2023 2:55PM