Listed Building record MDO26963 - Parish Church of St Mary, Powerstock and Nettlecombe

Parish Church with walls of rubble and ashlar, and slate roofs. The core of the tower and the chancel arch are 12th century. The north and south arcades were built in the 14th century, and the tower was heightened and buttresses added in the 15th century. There were substantial additions and alterations in the 19th century, including the rebuilding of the chancel in 1859.

Parish Church of St Mary. C12th chancel arch and tower core. C14th North and South arcades, C15th tower buttressing and Leightening. Chancel rebuilt 1859, north and south aisle walls C19th, South entrance C15th and South Porch C19th. <1>

Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 135 (Monograph). SWX1269.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1890, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1899, xl-1 (Serial). SDO13.

Powerstock Church
By Rev. ROGER W. H. DALISON.
(Read July 19th, 1S90.J
THE Parish of Powerstock or Poorstock contains many points of interest, the chief of which centre
round the Church and the grassy mounds of an old Castle, which was re-built and tenanted by King John. There are also some interesting traditions which should be recorded ere they are lost sight of.
The Church is renowned for a very beautiful Norman arch, which has the appearance of having undergone a settlement, the arch itself being very much askew. But as the masonry on the top is perfectly level, I consider that the archway has never had a settlement at all, and that the crooked appearance it has arises from the fact that it was built by the people of the parish themselves, who did not understand the technicalities of arch building.
In not very remote times, that is within the last fifty years, it was the custom in the Parish Church at the time of administering the Sacrament of Baptism, for the parent to take the child round to a little door leading into the west end of the Baptistry and knock for admission ; whereupon the clerk would demand, " What is your business ?" to which the parent would reply, " We demand baptism." The clerk would then open the door and admit the parties, and the service would then proceed. This Baptistry door has been done away with, and a window now takes its place. But the old custom has migrated from the Parish Church to West Milton, where the Baptistry door exists.
The following is a description of Powerstock Church by Mr. C. E. Ponting, F.S.A., and the extracts from Pipe Rolls relating to Powerstock Castle were communicated by Rev. W. Miles Barnes :
THE CHURCH OF S. MARY THE VIRGIN, POWERSTOCK.
This church, as at present, consists of chancel, nave with north and south aisles, south porch and western tower ; the north aisle is, however, an addition made at the restoration of the church in 1859, when the remainder of the fabric was rebuilt with the exception of the tower, the east end of the nave, the arcade between the nave and south aisle, and the south doorway.
The tower is of three stages in height, and the divisions are marked by string courses. It has in the lower stage a western door, with three-light window over (in addition to a modern window in the north wall), and in the upper stage a two-light window in each face of transitional type from the Decorated to the Perpendicular. The lower stage is divided into two by a set-off, which is very pronounced outside on the north and inside on both north and south sides ; up to this point the walls of the tower are Norman work, probably coeval with the chancel arch. Late in the 14th century (circa 1380) the Norman tower (which must have been higher than the set-off) was reduced to this level, probably to get a sound base for the new work, the buttresses and turret staircase were added on the outside, and the tower carried up to its present height. It is interesting to note the evidences of the exact points at which the old work was retained and the new begun (a.) the points of the Norman work on the north side were out of level, and in order to start the new part level the upper Norman course was reduced in depth towards the west ; b.) where the buttresses and staircase were built against the earlier walls a straight joint occurs, and they are not bonded into the walls, as is the case higher up where the two are coeval ; (c.) on the south side the 14th century base mould is obviously inserted in the Norman wall, and a thin piece of stone has been put to make up the depth of a course to meet it ; (d.) the doorway retains the jambs of the Norman door on the inside, and the outline of the early arch can be traced on the outside ; (e.g. oyster shells are used in the joints of the later work, but not in the earlier (I may mention that I have never found these in walling joints of earlier than the middle of the 14th century).
The buttresses are placed at right angles with the tower ; they have a deep plinth and are carried up to the top of the middle stage with three set-offs. The 14th century staircase has been raised in more recent times, and a doorway inserted to give access from the outside. The tower is surmounted by a moulded cornice, with rude gargoyles which might have belonged to the Norman tower, and embattled parapet.
The archway between the tower and nave, the north window, and the head of the west window are insertions of 1859.
The west doorway, as remodelled in the 14th century, is a rich one ; it has two orders of mouldings, the cavetto and wavemould carried round jambs and arch, and the former member is enriched by carved paterae ; the doorway is flanked by attached pinnacles which stop the label, and have crocketted finials. The inner arch is a barrel vault with moulded ribs and central bosses, springing from the Norman jambs.
The chancel arch is a good specimen of early Norman work (circa 1 100) of three orders. The inner order of the arch has a roll and a cable member, with diaper ornament on the flat surface ; it is supported by engaged shafts on the jambs, with caps having rude foliage and a triple cable mould on the abacus. The outer and middle orders of the arch (which occur on the west face only) consist of the chevron and roll-and-cavetto respectively, and are carried by detached shafts with carved capS three of which have carved volutes and the other a fishscale pattern ; one has also a curious tree ornament. The abacus mould of these caps is chamfered and enriched with the sawtooth ornament; it was formerly carried on to the side walls. The shafts are carved on the north, one with chevron and the other with diaper ornament, and on the south one with chevron and the other with a raised foliated pattern ; this shaft (which had been cut away in forming the squint) has been renewed. The bases of all shafts are moulded. The greater part of the label of the arch has been cut away, and only the enriched lower mould remains. The Norman wall extends to the height of the set-off.
Two squints were cut through the wall on the south side of the chancel arch, probably in the 15th century, one from the nave and the other from the south aisle, both in the direction of the centre of the altar foot pace, and evidently intended to give a view of the celebrant.
The south arcade is of three bays, each arch with two orders of chamfers on cylindrical columns with moulded caps and bases of Early Decorated character. The responds have semicylindrical attached columns ; in the west respond a later opening has been cut, and the hooks which remain show that it was provided with a door. The north arcade is a modern copy.
The south doorway of the church is a beautiful composition of a date only slightly later than the remodelling of the tower. It has a four-centred moulded arch flanked by attached pinnacles, panelled, and with crocketted finials ; over the arch is a moulded cornice enriched with paterae returning round the pinnacles, where an embattled member occurs. Above this are three niches supported by angel-corbels which have been partially renewed ; the central niche is occupied by figures of the Patron Saint the B.V.M. and Child the heads of which are modern ; the side niches are vacant. On each jamb of the doorway, between the mouldings and the pinnacle, is a shaft with an angel-capital, supporting a figure carved in high relief. The one on the west is a male figure holding a book and staff, the cloak being secured by a morse ; the one on the east is a female figure holding two loaves, and on each side of her stands a child clinging to her robes and holding a loaf. These are intended to represent either a king and queen, or crowned saints ; but their identification is not obvious.

LIST OF CHURCH GOODS IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF POWERSTOCK IN THE 6th YEAR OF EDWARD VI.
From a MS. in the Record Office. Press mark "
Q.R. Church Goods, Dorset ~."
THE PARISH OF PORESTOKE.
First : Two chalices of silver gilt ; five pairs of vestments, one of satin of Bruges, one of silk damask, two of dormax, one of red damask, one cope of red damask ; two table clothes of linen ; two candlesticks of brass; five bells in the tower, one "liche" bell. To the Church use there is appointed the worst chalice, one cope of red damask, with all the table clothes and surplices. The residue of the premises are committed to the charge of the churchwardens and other parishioners under-written :
Sir THOMAS HARRYSON, Curate,
WILLIAM TURNER.
ROBERT MORE.
NICHOLAS TRAVERS.
HARRY TURNER.
WILLIAM STEPHENS.
ROBERT PRYNCE.
(In the above extract the spelling has been modernised, except in the names.)
Notes. Pair of vestments would mean the whole suite of vestments namely, the alb, girdle, stole, maniple, amice, and chasuble.
Dormax. A coarse damask made at Dormax or Tournay in France. (Walcott.)
Lyche Bell. Probably the small bell rung at funerals as a signal to clear the way and to call for a prayer for the departed. The Synod of Exeter enjoined parishioners to provide, amongst other necessaries," small bells for the dead."
Outside the south porch of the Parish Church there is what looks like an old raised tomb, but Mr. Pouting says he has no doubt whatever that it was an old " Dole Table " on which the charity loaves of bread were placed previous to their being distributed. It dates probably about the 13th century, and is the eleventh dole table that he knows to exist in Dorset. Another one used to exist at West Milton, but it has been broken up.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 181-3 (Monograph). SDO97.

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 344-345 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1976 (Map). SDO17396.

(SY91685169) St Mary's Church [NAT]

<4> Best, R, 1992, Powerstock in Dorset (Monograph). SDO18205.

<5> Hall, T A, 2000, Minster Churches in the Dorset Landscape, 95, 100, 304 (Monograph). SDO10264.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884156 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2025 11:24AM