Listed Building record MDO13422 - St Mary's Church, Church Hill, Stalbridge

A medieval parish church extensively rebuilt in the nineteenth century. Parts of the nave and transepts are of 14th-century date, and a chapel on the north was built in the early 16th century. The building has walls of squared and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, and a slate roof.

Parish Church of St Mary. Nave, arcades and remains of North transept late 14th century, North chapel and chancel arcade early 16th century; restoration in 19th century. <2>

St Mary's Church. Grade II*. <3,4>

During reflooring of the vestry to the South of the chancel, stone foundations on the same alignment as the chancel wall were found. These must belong to a pre-14th century church for which no other evidence is available at present. <5>

Stalbridge belonged to Shaftesbury Abbey from the 10th century. Two 14th century lists of donors cite Aethelbert (860-6) as benefactor, but no charter exists to confirm that. It was probably a monastic estate church which took on the characteristics of a minster. <6>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1981 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST73351820) St Mary's Church

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 247-249 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(1) THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY stands on a steep rise at the N. end of the village; it has walls of squared and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, and slated roofs. Although extensively rebuilt in 1868 and 1877 the church retains the N. and S. arcades of a late 14th century Nave, vestiges of North and South Transepts of the same date, and a North Chapel of the early 16th century.
Architectural Description—The Chancel is of the 19th century, except for the N. side which retains a three-bay arcade of the 16th century, with three two-centred arches of two chamfered orders rising from columns and responds in which three-quarter shafts alternate with hollow chamfers; the bases are polygonal and the capitals are decorated with shields and with angels bearing scrolls. The E. respond capital (Plate 17) has shields to N. and S. and an angel in the centre bearing a scroll with an invocation incised in black-letter 'Orate p. aia. bnfactor. Thoe. Shilb'; the N. shield depicts in relief a tree and a chevron between three birds; the S. shield has an engrailed chevron above 'WS' entwined and, in chief, Tudor roses flanking the initial 'H'. The capital of the E. column has four winged figures, restored, carrying scrolls inscribed in black-letter with the names of the evangelists. The capital of the W. column has restored angels bearing scrolls inscribed with various invocations. The partly restored W. respond has a capital with a central angel with a shield depicting three fishes entwined, and flanking shields inscribed 'RS' and 'IB' (Plate 17).
The North Chapel (28½ ft. by 14 ft.) has, reset above the restored E. window, the head of a late 14th or early 15th-century window of two trefoil-headed lights with a cusped centre light in a chamfered two-centred surround. The N. wall has two restored windows and, at the W. end, a blocked doorway with a moulded four-centred head. The W. wall has a two-centred arch of two chamfered orders with responds similar to those of the N. arcade of the chancel but somewhat higher. The capital of the N. respond has a central angel bearing a shield charged with the letter 'M', a flail and a crosier, and two flanking shields, one with the monogram 'WH', the other with emblems of the Passion and the letters 'TAIC'. The capital of the S. respond has a central angel bearing a shield with a bird sitting on the letter 'P' and, on either side, shields engraved 'Marcy' and 'IHS'.
The Nave (57 ft. by 16½ ft.) has N. and S. arcades of four bays with two-centred arches of two wave-moulded orders rising above cylindrical piers with attached three-quarter shafts. The piers have polygonal bases and moulded caps, restored in plaster. The N. aisle is largely of the 19th century but the E. wall and the eastern part of the N. wall, representing a former North Transept, are probably of the 14th century; they have chamfered plinths. In the S. respond of the archway to the N. chapel is the former rood-vice doorway, with a rebated four-centred head and continuous jambs. The walls of the South Transept have been refaced and appear to be modern, but a 14th-century piscina remains.
Fittings—Bells: six; 2nd inscribed 'WD. RG. TP. Anno Domini 1649'; 5th inscribed 'Thos. Bartlett & Jas. Dober Ch. Wardens, Mr. Robert James gent.; God save the King & prosper this town to keep democrates down; to effect it ye Britons be firm in the cause, in supporting our King constitution & laws; Thos. & Jas. Bilbie Chewstoke Somt. fecit 1795'; 6th inscribed 'Stephen James & John Lewis Church Wardens; I to the church the living call & to the grave doth summons all; William Bilbie Chewstoke founder, 1779'; others modern. Bracket: In S. aisle, on timber pedestal, loose stone slab with one moulded edge and head-boss, mediaeval. Chests: two, of oak, one with plank sides and lid heavily banded with iron, with three locks, 16th century; another with panelled sides and chipcarving, 17th century. Coffin-lid: In N. chapel, reset on E. wall, part of coffin-lid with floriate cross in high relief, c. 1300. Font: with spherical Greensand bowl and short cylindrical Ham Hill stem, early 13th century, plinth modern. Hatchment: In chancel, on N. wall, arms of Pope impaling Buckler. Graffiti: On monument (1), 17th and 18th-century initials and dates.
Monuments and Floor-slab. Monuments: In chancel, in E. bay of N. arcade, (1) table-tomb with moulded stone slab, sides with hollow-chamfered quatrefoil panels enclosing blank shields, late 15th or early 16th century; reset on S. wall, (2) of John Douche, rector, 1675 and his sons James and Charles, 1674, triple panel of clunch with painted inscription, with brackets, Corinthian columns and rounded pediment with carved tympanum; (3) of Sarah Bradford, 1810, Edward Bradford, 1837 and their son Edward Paget Bradford, 1822, tablet in Gothic surround, by H. Hopper, London. In N. chapel, on E. wall, (4) of William Boucher, 1836, white marble tablet with classical enrichment and shield-of-arms, by Osmund of Sarum; in N.E. corner, (5) of Thomas Weston, 17th-century wall-monument of painted stone with inscription panel flanked by Corinthian columns, above, entablature and arms of Weston impaling Willoughby, also same coats separately; at E. end of N. wall, (6) table-tomb similar to (1), with life-size cadaver effigy (Plate 193), late 15th or early 16th century; on N. wall, (7) of William Weston, 1727, slate inscription tablet with painted lettering surmounted by pediment with urn, below, foliate apron with arms of Weston impaling Brune; (8) of Rev. William Douche, 1648, and Joanna his wife, 1667, stone tablet with two round-headed panels linked by clasped hands; spandrels with cherub decoration. Reset in splayed S.W. corner of N. chapel, (9) of Ciscily Freke [1667] and Frances Freke, 1665, two stone panels with moulded borders; below, small tablet inscribed 'Ano Do 1667', formerly set above Ciscily Freke's tablet (Hutchins III, 679). In N. aisle, on N. wall, (10) of William Gray, 1814 and others of same family, white marble tablet with cornice and urn by Jenkins of Poole. In S. aisle, at W. end, (11) of Mary Clarke, 1840, stone tablet. Floor-slab: In N. chapel, reset and clamped to S.W. wall, 13th-century Purbeck marble floor-slab with marginal inscription in Lombardic capitals, HIC IACET IN TOMBA MAGI[STER] WILLS DE EXONIA QUONDAM RECTOR EC[CLESIE HUI]US CUIS ANIMA PRO[PICIE]TUR DEUS.
Niche: In chancel, in N. wall, rounded recess with standards supporting three-sided canopy with miniature rib vaulting and cusped and crocketed ogee-headed arcading, early 16th century Piscina: In S. transept, in E. wall, with rebated and chamfered two-centred head and shallow round bowl with central outlet, 14th century. Plate: Silver cup and paten, both with hallmarks of 1809; also silver flagon of 1838 and silver paten of 1841. Miscellanea: In N. chapel, loose, carved stone heads of lady, veiled, and of boy with protruding tongue, mediaeval. In N. aisle, reset above archway to N. chapel, moulded fragment of string-course with head-corbel, late mediaeval. Reset above S. doorway to vestry, tablet inscribed 'Seek . . . ye . . . the Kingdome of God', 18th century.’

<3> DOE (HRR), 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of North Dorset, 3 (Scheduling record). SDO17668.

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 395-6 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1980, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1978, 117 (Serial). SDO78.

<6> Hall, T A, 2000, Minster Churches in the Dorset Landscape, 100 (Monograph). SDO10264.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 888343 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 3:43PM