Listed Building record MDO13285 - Parish church of St Mary, Chettle

Parish church, early 16th century west tower, remainder 1849. Banded flint and ashlar with tiled roofs having end stone copings. Plan: nave, chancel, north vestry, south organ chamber and west tower.

The parish church of St Mary has walls of banded flint and ashlar and tiled roofs. The west tower is early 16th century; the chancel, nave, vestry and organ chamber were built in 1849 to replace Medieval buildings. <1, 3>

Church of St Mary. Parish church, early C16 west tower, remainder 1849. Grade II* (see list for details). <6>

Additional reference. <4>

<1> DOE (HHR), 1954, List of Buildings of Special Historic or Architectural Interest: Blandford Rural District, 4 (Scheduling record). SDO17701.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 95151329) ST Mary's Church (NAT)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 10 (Monograph). SDO99.

‘(1) The Parish Church of St. Mary, near the S. end of the village, has walls of banded flint and ashlar, and tiled roofs. The West Tower is of the early 16th century; the Chancel, Nave, Vestry and Organ Chamber were built in 1849 to replace mediaeval buildings, then demolished. (View of former church: Hutchins 2nd ed. III, 170.)

Architectural Description—The 19th-century parts of the church have windows and other details generally in the 'Decorated' style. The 16th-century West Tower (Plate 33) is of two stages, with a moulded plinth, weathered string-courses and an embattled parapet. The buttresses are of two weathered stages, the offsets occurring about half-way up each main stage; there is no vice. The tower arch is two-centred and of two orders, the outer order chamfered, the inner order with ogee mouldings; the mouldings of both orders continue on the responds and end at low chamfered plinths. The W. doorway has a four-centred head of two chamfered orders continuous on the jambs, with chamfered stops; above is a partly restored window of three trefoil-headed lights under plain tracery in an elliptical head. The belfry has four uniform windows, each of two elliptical-headed lights with spandrel lights in a four-centred head; below the W. belfry window is a small light with an elliptical head.

Fittings—Bells: three; 1st and 2nd with 'ave gratia' in black-letter, 3rd with 'Sanc Te Pe Ter'; all from Salisbury foundry, c. 1350. Chairs: two, of oak, heavily enriched, each with panelled back with shell cresting and two turned finials, richly carved legs and stiles, and stuffed seats; early 17th-century material reassembled in 19th century. Coffin-stools: two, of oak, with turned legs, enriched rails and stretchers and beaded tops, early 17th century. Monuments: In chancel, (1) of Rev. John West, 1845, and others of his family, sarcophagus-shaped marble tablet by Hellyer of Weymouth; (2) of Rev. John Napier, 1819, and Catherine his wife, 1833, marble tablet with slate surround. In nave, on N. of chancel arch, (3) of George Chafin, 1766, Elizabeth (Sturt) Chafin, 1762, and others of their family, oval tablet on variegated marble backing piece, with gadrooned sill, and finial painted with shield-of-arms of Chafin impaling Sturt (Plate 38); on S. of chancel arch, (4) of Thomas Chafin, 1691, and Ann (Penrudock) his wife, 1705, marble tablet in shaped stone surround with drapery enrichment, cherub heads, emblems of mortality and achievement-of-arms of Chafin impaling Penrudock (Plate 18). In tower, (5) of Ann Brewer, 1803, and others of her family, marble tablet with fluted grey pilasters. In churchyard, 5 paces S. of organ chamber, (6) of Henry Newman, 1717, headstone with scroll-work finial. Pavement: of nave and W. tower, of diagonally jointed stone flags, said to be from old church and to date from c. 1710 (Illustrated London News, 1849, 285). Plate: includes silver cup, perhaps late 17th century, with stem and foot renewed in 18th century; stand-paten, perhaps late 17th century, adapted to form cover for cup; flagon, with assay-mark of 1681 and inscription of E. Lowe, rector 1690–1693.’

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 151 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> Stratton, I H S, 1972, The church of St. Mary, Chettle (Monograph). SDO18257.

<6> DOE (HHR), 1985, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset District, 2 (Scheduling record). SDO17732.

<7> Dorset Historic Buildings Survey (Index). SDO12541.

<8> Dorset Building Material Survey (Index). SDO12542.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210115 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 3:47PM