Listed Building record MDO14481 - Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Church Road, Thornford

Parish Church with fourteenth century chancel and west tower, nave rebuilt in the fifteenth century when the north chapel was added. North vestry was added in the sixteenth century, the church was restored in 1866

Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene. Chancel and West tower C14th, nave mid C15th, North chapel late C15th. restored 1866 by Slater and Carpenter. <1>

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1891, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club 12, xxvi (Serial). SDO7.

Leaving Yetminster the route next led to Thornford, where the party were received and hospitably entertained at tea on the Rectory lawn by the Rev. Wilfred Roxby. The church was afterwards visited. In the churchyard the Rector pointed out a hole about the size of a man's fist in the top of one of the tombstones, which formerly contained a copper receptacle, into which were paid on St. Thomas' Day the modus in lieu of prebendal tithes. The church, which dates from the 14th century, was restored about 25 years ago. An interesting feature of the interior is the stone screen, which used to support a solid wall of masonry, giving the chancel end of the church a heavy and dark appearance. This has now been removed.

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 82 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 249-50 (Monograph). SDO97.

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 421 (Monograph). SWX1290.

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

(ST 6030 1326) St Marys Church (NAT)

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887698 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2025 11:49AM