Listed Building record MDO1120 - St Lawrence's church, Folke

A church situated in the north-west corner of the parish. The building has rubble stone walls with freestone dressings and a stone slate roof. Parish records say that the church was entirely rebult in 1628, and restored in 1875.

Parish Church of St Lawrence, 1628 and restoration of 1875. The West tower may incorporate some earlier work. Plan of nave, chancel, West tower, North aisle, South aisle (with adjoining South porch. <1>

2007, Welcome to the Parish Church of Folke, Dedicated to St Lawrence (Monograph). SDO18271.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 110-111 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST. LAWRENCE stands in the N.W. corner of the parish. The walls are of local rubble with freestone dressings and the roofs are covered with stone slates. The church was entirely rebuilt in 1628 as recorded in the parish register. It was extensively restored in 1875.

The church with many of its fittings is an interesting example of 17th century work.

Architectural Description - The Chancel (19 ft. by 16 ft.) has an E. window of four four-centred lights, the middle pair rather higher than the others, with a moulded label. The N. and S. walls have each a similar window of three lights with the middle light taller than the others; the N. doorway has moulded jambs and elliptical arch under a square moulded label with returned stops. The plastered chancel-arch is semi-circular and of one chamfered order with a key-stone; it springs from moulded and dentilled corbels.

The Nave (41 ft. by 16 ft.) has N. (Plate 114) and S. arcades of three bays with two-centred arches of one moulded order with a sunk soffit enriched with carved paterae: the central arch has a carved pendant; the octagonal piers have moulded and dentilled capitals and moulded bases and a concave panel in each face with a round head; the responds have attached half-piers; W. of the arcade, on each side, is a doorway with moulded jambs and two-centred arch; the N. doorway has a label with returned stops.

The North Aisle (9¾ ft. wide) has, in the E. and W. walls, a window of two four-centred lights with a label. In the N. wall are two windows similar to the side windows of the chancel. The aisle has an embattled parapet.

The South Aisle (9¾ ft. wide) is similar in treatment and openings to the N. aisle, but there is no W. window.

The West Tower (9¾ ft. square) is of two stages and three storeys, finished with an embattled parapet and pinnacles. The offsets of the buttresses and the bell-chamber windows may be reused materials. The tower-arch is two-centred and of one continuous moulded order. In the N. wall is a blocked window with a round head and in the S. wall is a doorway, perhaps modern, with moulded jambs, two centred arch and label with returned stops. The floor of the second storey has been raised about 4 ft. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of one pointed light fitted with a stone trellis grille.

The South Porch, now a vestry, has an embattled parapet. The outer archway is semi-circular and of one moulded order with a label; the moulded responds have moulded imposts. In the W. wall is a modern window.

Fittings - Bells: five; 4th by William Bilbie of Chewstoke, 1777; 5th, 1638, given by William Hurd, died 1631, from the Wiseman foundry; bell-frame old. Brass: attached to lectern, to William Hemerford, S.T.B., rector, 1583, inscription only. Chest: In nave - with panelled front and ends, moulded styles and rails, 17th century. Communion Rails: with turned balusters and side-posts with acorn-tops; moulded upper rail, 17th century. Communion Table: with turned legs and enriched upper and lower rails, 17th century, marble top with moulded edge, date uncertain. Font (Plate 35): octagonal bowl with bands of Greek wave-ornament, gadroons and conventional foliage, twisted circular stem with moulded capital and base,17th century. Cover, of oak with seven (formerly eight) scrolled supports to central post and small intermediate knobs, 17th century. Hatchment (Plate 25): in N. aisle - on S. wall, achievement-of-arms of Henning painted on panel with carved and gilt frame, dated 1658. Hour-glass Stand: On S.E. respond behind pulpit of wrought-iron, 17th or 18th century. Monuments and Floor-slab. Monuments: In chancel - on S. wall, (1) to Rev. Robert Frome, 1833, Jane, his wife, 1830, Emily and Mary, their daughters, 1812 and 1863, and Arundell Frome, mother of Robert, 1790, black and white marble wall-monument with shield-of-arms, by C. Thomas. In S. aisle - on S. wall (2) to Walter Rideout, 1643, tablet with arched panel and painted emblems of mortality; (3) to Ann, wife of William Notley, 1797, William Notley, 1837, and William, their son, 1841, black and white marble wall monument by G. Crawford of Sherborne; (4) to Erle Hawker, 1805, oval wall-tablet of marble with shield-of-arms. In churchyard - W. of tower, (5) to John Daggel, late 17th century, headstone. Floor-slab: In chancel - under communion-table, to Katherin, wife of Abraham Forrester, rector, 1563, enriched slab. Painting: In nave - on N. wall, the Resurrection, in oils on canvas, 18th century. Panelling: Incorporated in various modern fittings, parts of 17th century panelling. Plate: includes a stand-paten of 1706, given by Susana widow of Thomas Chafe, with a lozenge-of-arms, and a paten of 1846 given in 1847. Pulpit: octagonal with moulded and dentilled cornice, each face with two panels divided by an enriched moulding, upper panels with enriched design, lower panels with reeded decoration, mid 17th-century. Screen: under chancel-arch - of oak and of three bays divided by fluted Ionic pilasters on W. face supporting a cornice, on the cornice is a large, scrolled and carved centre-piece flanked by two pierced pinnacles and two flat finials, each bay of screen with enriched pointed arch having turned pendants, and strapwork and conventional leaves in the spandrels; gates with close lower panels and open arched panels above with an enriched frieze and iron grilles, early 17th century, gates rather later. In middle bay of N. arcade - oak screen (Plate 114) with pointed arch and pendant similar to chancel-screen, enriched side-posts with scrolled supports and cornice supporting scrolled cresting with a crest of a dog, a fleur-de-lis and pinnacles, early 17th century. Seating: In aisles - a number of bench-ends with fluted enrichments and shell-cresting flanked by modern acorn-finials, 17th century.

The carved pedestal-base of a 15th century Cross (Plate 12) said to have been built into the chimney of a house at Bishop's Down in this parish is now in the museum at Sherborne Castle in Castleton parish (q.v.).'

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 206 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1979 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 6597 1327) St Lawreces' Church (NAT)

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887733 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 5:00PM