Listed Building record MDO11081 - Holy Trinity, Swyre

Parish church built in the medieval period and rebuilt in 1843, retaining some earlier parts. The chancel arch and west tower were built around 1400. The building has walls of local rubble dressed with the same material, and slate roofs.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1910, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, liv (Serial). SDO21.

The Club then drove to Swyre, and there entered the church, where, in the regretted absence of the Rector (the Rev. T. Horton Roberts), who was away from home, some notes which he had thoughtfully prepared were read by the Rev. J. C. M. MANSEL-PLEYDELL..
The church, which dates from 1503, was (unfortunately) rebuilt in 1843 with the exception of the tower and chancel arches ; and the pillars of the nave (so ran the notes) bear record to the execrable taste of the period. Of the bells in the tower, the devout and public -spirited churchwardens early last century sold one towards defraying the cost of repairing the roads ! The members inspected with especial interest two nice brasses to John Russell, who died in 1505, and James Russell "and Alys hys Wyfe," who deceased, 1509, the grandfather and father respectively of the first Earl of Bedford, who was born at Berwick House, a former home of the Russells, who also had another seat at Kingston Russell. The only other object that claimed attention was the large and handsome monument, on the north wall of the chancel, erected in 1692 to the memory of James Napier, brother of Sir Alexander Napier, and an interesting example of the mural tablets of the William and Mary period.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 229-230 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) PARISH CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY stands on the E. edge of the parish. The walls are of local rubble with dressings of the same material; the roofs are slate-covered. The chancel-arch and West Tower were built c. 1400. The Chancel and Nave were rebuilt in 1843 and the Vestry and Organ-Chamber were added in 1885.'

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1967 (Map). SWX1197.

(SY 5280 8824) Holy Trinity Church [NAT]

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884018 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 4 2025 3:20PM