Listed Building record MDO14004 - Parish church of The Holy Trinity, Stourpaine

Rebuilt in 1858 with the exception of the West Tower, which is of the second half of the fifteenth century. Three three light windows reset into the north wall of the rebuilt nave are 15th century, relict from the old church. The most easterly of these may be earlier, but little of its original stonework remains. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, at the south end of the village, was rebuilt in 1858 with the exception of the West Tower which is of the second half of the 15th century. Three three-light windows from the old church were restored and reset in the north wall of the new nave; the two to the west were of 15th century origin; that to the east was probably somewhat earlier but very little of the original stone-work remains. <2,3>

Church of the Holy Trinity. Grade 2*. <4,5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1969 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 86030537) Church

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 260-261 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(1) THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, at the S. end of the village, was rebuilt in 1858 with the exception of the West Tower which is of the second half of the 15th century. Three three-light windows from the old church were restored and reset in the N. wall of the new nave; the two to the W. were of 15th-century origin; that to the E. was probably somewhat earlier but very little of the original stonework remains.
Architectural Description—The West Tower is of Greensand ashlar and has three main stages with a moulded and battered plinth and an embattled parapet. The stages are defined by weathered string-courses; the parapet string-course is weathered and hollow-chamfered and has a grotesque gargoyle at each corner. In the two lower stages the tower has four diagonal buttresses, each of three weathered stages; those of the N.E. and S.E. corners are incorporated in the W. end of the nave and are visible inside. The top stage has shallow angle pilasters which continue in the parapet as pinnacles with crocketed finials. On the N. is a polygonal vice turret, of three stages with a pyramidal head. The tower arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders; the inner order dies into the responds and the outer order is continuous. The external vice doorway has a chamfered segmental-pointed head with continuous jambs. The west window is two-centred and of three cinquefoil-headed lights under vertical tracery in a chamfered head with continuous jambs; it has a hollow-chamfered label with square stops. The second stage has a single square-headed light in the W. side. The top stage has, in each side, a belfry window of two trefoil-headed lights under a central quatrefoil, in a two-centred head with a moulded label with square stops.
Fittings—Bells: six; 2nd, by T. Purdue, inscribed 'T.P., E.M.R.M. ano domni 1624', on dome 'IF'; 4th inscribed 'Richard Gould Als Courage Church Warden, William Rosiear cast mee in the Year of Our Lord 1721'; tenor inscribed in black-letter 'In Ter Sede Pia Pro Nobis Virgo Maria', mid 15th century; others modern. Chair: of oak, with turned front legs and arm-rest supports, guilloche ornament on rail, plain seat, scrolled arm-rests, panelled back with guilloche enrichment, carved top rail with rounded head, and three turned finials; 17th century, finials later. Monuments: In nave, on N. wall, (1) of Robert Maurice, 1818, sarcophagus-shaped marble wall tablet with draped urn and arms, by Hiscock of Blandford; (2) of Thomas Bower, 1787, and Elizabeth his wife, 1809, slate tablet with incised arabesques and urn-shaped surround to inscription. In tower, on N. wall, (3) of John Straight [d. 1680], vicar, wall-monument erected during his lifetime, comprising round-headed niche flanked by Tuscan columns supporting entablature (Plate 35); above, painted inscription panel in moulded surround with scroll supports; within niche, kneeling effigy in black gown with gathered sleeves and tall collar, hands missing; monument dated 1670. Plate: includes Elizabethan silver cup and cover-paten without maker's or date marks.’

<3> DOE (HHR), 1954, List of Buildings of Special Historic or Architectural Interest: Blandford Rural District, 15 (Scheduling record). SDO17701.

<4> DOE (HHR), 1985, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset, 63 (Scheduling record). SDO17644.

<5> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 400-1 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24651 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine, from the north-west

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205469 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 3:07PM