Listed Building record MDO1018 - All Saints' Church, High East Street, Dorchester

Former Parish Church of All Saints’, Dorchester. The present church dates from 1843 and is in Gothic style by the architect Benjamin Ferrey. The church comprises a chancel, north and south chapels, vestry, nave, north and south aisles and a northwest tower. The spire was added to the tower subsequently, some time before 1860. The walls are of squared and regular coursed stone rubble with Ham Hill stone dressings. The roofs are slate or tile covered. The old church was destroyed by fire in 1613 and its replacement was demolished and replaced in the 19th century by the present building. The church was made redundant in 1970. It is now used as a store for Dorset County Museum.

All Saints’ Church lies on the corner of High East Street and Church Street, Dorchester. The walls are of squared and regular coursed stone rubble with Ham Hill stone dressings. The roofs are slate or tile covered. The present church dates from 1843 and is in Gothic style by the architect Benjamin Ferrey. The church comprises a chancel, north and south chapels, vestry, nave, north and south aisles and a northwest tower. The spire was added to the tower subsequently, some time before 1860.

The old church was destroyed by fire in 1613 and its replacement was demolished and replaced in the 19th century by the present building. There is a foundation stone in the east wall of the chancel, inscribed “This foundation stone of the church of All Saints, rebuilt on the ancient site, was laid by the Revd. Edward Denison, Bishop of Salisbury, Oct. 4, 1843.

The nave is of four bays with arcades to the north and south. The south aisle is of four bays with two-light windows of net tracery and a two-centred head. The north aisle is of three bays with similar windows to the south aisle. The westernmost bay of the north aisle is taken up by the NW tower. The north and south chapels flank the chancel and are single bay continuations of the aisles and have similar windows on the north and south sides and three light windows with net tracery in the east wall. The chancel has a moulded plinth and contains the foundation stone. The east window is of five lights with net tracery and a two-centred head. There are single light windows on north and south walls. The vestry is on south side of chancel with door in east wall. It contains in the south wall a reset and restored late 15th-16th century window. The tower is of three stages with a later broach spire. The west doorway is deeply moulded.

The church was made redundant in 1970. It is now used as a store for Dorset County Museum.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1 to 25 inch scale map, 1929 (Map). SDO18020.

(SY 69349073) All Saints' Church (NAT)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 105-7 (Monograph). SDO148.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453518 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:25PM