Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST ANDREW (104880)

ST 70 SE MELCOMBE HORSEY BINGHAM'S MELCOMBE 10/150 26-1-56 Church of St Andrew GV I Parish church, largely mid C14, upper stage of tower and rebuilding of south chapel, C15, restoration and partial rebuilding of chancel 1844. Mainly flint and rubble walls with ashlar dressings. Nave and chancel have tiled roofs with stone copings bearing finials. South chapel roof is stone slated, north chapel roof hidden behind parapet. Plan: nave, chancel, west tower, north chapel and south chapel incorporating porch. Tower: 2 stages separated by strings, the upper one having north gargoyle; hollow-chamfered plinth; embattled parapet; diagonal and square set buttresses; vice turret with pyramidal stone roof; 3-light reticulted west window under 2-centred head with returned label; bell openings of 2-lights under 2-centred heads with pierced stone panels. Most windows are of 2 or 3-ogee headed, trefoiled lights unde square heads. East chancel window similar to west window but of the C19. South nave window of 3-lights with panel tracery under a square head, with label having stops with carved initials. South chapel south window has shallow triangular head and is of 3-lights with panel tracery and a label with carved head stops. South chapel east window of 3-lights with panel tracery under a 2-centred head. South porch has a segmental pointed door of 2 chamfered orders. The south nave door has a chamfered, 4-centred head with continuous jambs. Interior features: chapel and tower arches are 2-centred with 2 chamfered orders and flat responds; chancel arch is of the C19 with a flat soffit and jambs,the imposts being formed of reused window mullions; wooden chapel screen dated 1619; C18 fielded wooden pulpit with cornice; C17 turned communion rails; some benches possibly C16 restored; c 1200 round stone font on C20 base; cinqufoiled ogee headed niche in porch; C18, C19 and C20 monuments; some early glass; south chapel and nave have C19 waggon roofs; chancel has arch-braced collar roof; north chapel has flat boarded roof; some possibly C16 tiles; stoup in east jamb of south doorway; various reset fragments of medieval carving. RCHM, Dorset, vol III, pp 161-3, no 1. Newman J and Pevsner N, The Buildings of England: Dorset, Penguin 1972, p 278. Listing NGR: ST7727502082

Record last edited

Feb 9 2022 2:59PM