Listed Building record MDO28089 - St Mary's church, Pilsdon

A parish church consisting of chancel and nave, built in the late fourteenth century. The building has walls of local rubble and a slate roof. The church was restored in 1830 and 1875.

St Mary's Church. Former parish church, now a private chapel. Late C14th, with major restorations of 1830 and ca. 1875. Nave and chancel. (2-4)

Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1963 (Map). SWX1197.

(SY 4147 9955) St Mary's Church [NAT]

Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF051583 (Index). SDO14738.

CHURCH OF ST MARY, PILSDON

National Record of the Historic Environment, 863868 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 315 (Monograph). SWX1290.

Department of the Environment, 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of West Dorset (Parishes of Burstock, Broadwindsor, Mapperton, Netherbury, North Poorton, Pilsdon, Powerstock and Stoke Abbott), 76 (Scheduling record). SDO16351.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 179 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY stands at the S. end of the parish. The walls are of local rubble with dressings of the same material; the roofs are slate-covered. The church, consisting of Chancel and Nave, was built late in the 14th century. It was drastically restored in 1830 and again in 1875. The South Porch is modern or entirely rebuilt and the Vestry is also modern.

Architectural Description - The Chancel (20 ft. by 14¾ ft.) has a restored late 14th-century E. window of five cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with a label. In the N. wall is a modern doorway. In the S. wall are two much restored late 14th-century windows, both of two cinquefoiled lights in a two-centred head with a label and head-stops. The chancel-arch is modern except for a few stones in the S. respond.

The Nave (26½ ft. by 14¾ ft. ) has, in the N. wall, two windows similar to the S. windows of the chancel; the late 14th-century N. doorway, now blocked, has chamfered jambs and two-centred head. In the S. wall is a window similar to those in the N. wall; the much restored late 14th-century S. doorway has double chamfered jambs and two-centred head. At the E. end of the nave on both walls are two head-corbels, presumably to support the former rood-beam or loft. In the W. wall, which has been partly rebuilt, is a modern window and on the gable is a modern bell-cote.

Fittings - Piscina: In chancel - recess with cinquefoiled head, crocketed and finialed ogee label, carved spandrel, octagonal drain in rounded projection on short shaft and head-corbel, late 14th-century. Stoup: In porch - recess with rounded head and round bowl, mediaeval. Miscellanea: In chancel, mediaeval head-corbel supporting modern book-rest.' {1}

Record last edited

Dec 23 2025 10:02AM