Listed Building record MDO3782 - Christ Church, East Stour

The Parish church was built in 1842 to the design of G Alexander in a Romanesque style on a cruciform plan with a central tower. The walls are of local limestone ashlar with greensand dressings and the roofs are slate covered. This church stands a little to the east of the site of the former chapel, which was demolished in 1841.

Christ Church, East Stour was built in 1842 and stands a little east of the site of the former chapel of East Stour, demolished in 1841. Originally the chapel seems to have been a chantry and is mentioned as such in 1586. <1>

There are no visible remains or indications of a building platform in the churchyard. Miss G. Lester (Tenant), Church Farm understood that the present church was built over the site of the former chapel. <2>

Parish Church of Christ Church, East Stour was built in 1842; the former church was demolished and some fittings from it were transferred to the new building, including a 12th century font. <4>

<1> Shipp, W (ed), 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 633-34 (Monograph). SWX3207.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

F1 NVQ 03-FEB-56

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 79862284) Christ Church (NAT)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 16 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(1) THE PARISH CHURCH, CHRIST CHURCH, stands in the S. of the village. The walls are of local limestone ashlar with greensand dressings and the roofs are slate covered. The church was built in 1842 to the design of G. Alexander, in the romanesque style on a cruciform plan with a central tower. The former church was demolished and some fittings from it were transferred to the new building.
Fittings- bible-box: of oak, with foliate carving on the front panel, 17th century. Chests: two of oak: one with fielded panels and ball feet, 18th century; another with moulded and fielded panels, beaded corners, and three locks, 18th century, on modern legs. Font: with square Purbeck marble bowl with shallow round-headed arcading, on cylindrical stone centre shaft and four coarsely moulded corner shafts, with plain rectangular base, 12th century. Lectern: comprising carved and gilt pelican-in-piety (Plate 21), perhaps reused finial from former sounding-board or reredos; 18th century (cf.Dorset III, Plates 47,98).
CROSS SHAFT, fragment. Now in the British Museum (1969/4-1) was recoverd during the demolition of a house in East Stour in 1939. The stone is 10 ins. to 11ins. square and 2 ft. 4ins. High (Plate 3). Each face is richly decorated with vine-scroll, interlace and palmette ornament, probably of the late 10th or early 11th century (Arch.J., CXVII (1960,82-87).'

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202412 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 4:49PM