Listed Building record MDO1661 - Parish Church of St Osmond, Melbury Osmond

(ST 57400782) St Osmond's Church [NAT]. (1)

Church of St Osmond. C15th West tower, much rebuilt at the cost of Mrs S Strangways Horner in 1745. According to Pevsner, the church was remodelled in C13th style by Sir Arthur Bloomfield in 1888. A fragment of C10th or C11th sculpture depicting a frog-like animal in interlaced foliage has been reset in the chancel E wall.

Grade I. (2-4)

Described, and photograph. (5)

Full description of the fragment, which appears to be of a rabbit-like creature eating a plant. It appears to have Midlands affinities and of 9th century date.(6)

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 159-160 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) Parish Church of St. Osmond stands in the village. The walls are of rubble and ashlar-faced. The West Tower was built in the 15th century but, except for the tower-arch and some walling above it, this and the whole of the rest of the church was rebuilt at the cost of Mrs. Susanna Strangways Horner in 1745, as recorded on a tablet in the chancel. The nave is of simple character with ashlar facing to the S. wall, cornice, embattled parapet and round-headed windows; the S. doorway is rusticated and has a cornice. The chancel has been modernised. The 15th-century tower-arch is two-centred and moulded and the moulded responds have each three attached shaftes with moulded capitals and bases.'

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 273 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Parsons, David (ed), 1975, Tenth-Century Studies, 198 (Monograph). SDO17639.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1978 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 57400782) St Osmond's Church [NAT].

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 882105 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 17 2025 10:49AM