Listed Building record MDO14619 - Church of St Andrew, Leigh

A church built in the 15th century, with a north aisle which was added around 1840. The building has walls of rubble with stone dressings. The church was extensively restored in 1854 when the chancel was largely rebuilt. The architect for the restoration was Withers of Sherborne. The church contains a 13th-century font, which may suggest an earlier building on the site.

The latest evidence states that the 1854 restoration was by R H Shout. Listed Grade . Listed as `Parish Church of St Andrew.' <4>

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 71 Fig 2.6, 76-77 (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), 130-131 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, formerly a chapel of Yetminster, stands in the village. The walls are of rubble with freestone dressings and the roofs are covered with lead, slates and tiles. The church, consisting of Chancel, Nave, West Tower and South Porch was built in the second half of the 15th century. It was extensively restored in 1854, by Withers, architect, of Sherborne, when the chancel was largely rebuilt; the North Aisle is modern.

Architectural Description - The Chancel (17 ft. by 13¾ ft.) has no ancient features.

The Nave (35¼ ft. by 16 ft) has a modern N. arcade. In the S. wall are three windows, the easternmost is a square-headed light set high in the wall to light the rood-loft and now blocked internally; the second window is of the 15th century and of two trefoiled lights in a square head with a label and returned stops; the westernmost window is modern; the partly restored 15th-century S. doorway has chamfered jambs and two-centred head.

The West Tower (9½ ft. by 8½ ft.) is of the 15th century and of three stages with an embattled parapet, pinnacles and gargoyles. The tower-arch is two centred and of two continuous moulded orders. The W. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch in a square head with foliage and shields in the spandrels, one bearing three hanks of cord and the other a merchant's mark; the W. window is of three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and label. The second stage has a square-headed window in the W. wall. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of two cinquefoiled lights with blind tracery in a two-centred head. The square stair turret is finished with a flat stone roof with a central pedestal formerly supporting a pinnacle.

The South Porch has a 15th-century outer archway with restored jambs and two-centred head with a moulded label.

Fittings - Bells: five; 2nd by T. Purdue, 1681. Chest: In second stage of tower - plain, with metal clamps and strap-hinges, late 17th-century. Churchyard Cross: S.E. of church - octagonal to square base with moulded angles, 14th or 15th-century. Doors: In tower stair-turret - in ground stage, of battens with strap-hinges, probably 17th-century; in second stage, of two battens with strap-hinges, 15th-century. Font: round convex bowl with roll-moulding at base, 13th-century, stem modern. Piscina: In nave - reset in S. wall, recess with pointed head and octagonal drain broken away, 15th-century. Seating: In nave - eleven benches and two fronts, three of these benches and one front with shaped ends and terminals with spiral ornament, other ends with square moulded tops, 16th-century, with some modern repair. Stoup: In nave - E. of S. doorway, recess with chamfered square head, 15th-century, rest modern.’

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 251 (Monograph). SWX1290.

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

(ST 6179 0866) St Andrews' Church (NAT)

<4> DCMS, 2013, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of West Dorset amendment 2013, 18-OCT-2013 (Scheduling record). SDO17400.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887190 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:06PM