Listed Building record MDO39295 - Parish church of St Mary, Sturminster Marshall

Parish church. 12th century, with 13th century extensions, 14th and 15th century changes, tower rebuilt 1805, and substantial restoration of 1859, by Henry Woodyer. Walls of ironstone rubble, with limestone dressings; plinth, stepped buttresses, hood-moulds. Tile roof. Continuous nave and chancel, with wide north aisle continuing into a chapel (with a small vestry of 1859 at its east end), south porch (mostly 1859), and west tower (the upper part of 1859). Norman font.

The church of Saint Mary of Sturminster Marshall was built in the 12th century, the north arcade being mainly of this date; in the 13th century the Chancel was extended eastwards. The North Aisle was also lengthened eastwards in the 13th century and again in the 14th century, probably by the addition of a wider chapel; the aisle itself was then rebuilt and widened in the late 15th century. In the 15th century too the south wall of the Nave was rebuilt. The west Tower was completely rebuilt in 1805 and was heightened during a general restoration in 1859 under Henry Woodyer, architect; at the same time the chancel and nave were refenestrated, a new arch was opened between chancel and north aisle, and north aisle was heightened, the Vestry built, and the south porch rebuilt. <1>

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1910, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xli-xlii (Serial). SDO21.

The last church visited was that of St. Mary, Sturminster Marshall, where the members were confronted with a Norman arcade with massive square piers, rudely chamfered, and the arches adorned with a later escalloping in plaster.
Here the Club were received courteously by the Rev. James Cross, who has been Vicar for 33 years, and who gave them a detailed account of the church and everything of interest that it contains. The nave and north aisle, he said, were supposed to be of the time of King John. In the tower are four bells, one of the fourteenth and another of the fifteenth century. Mr. Cross announced with satisfaction that he had succeeded in completing a collection of portraits of previous vicars from 1745 to the present time. In the churchyard the visitors observed with interest the base and shaft of the old cross, and, near by, the mutilated stone coffin.
Driving on to the Rectory, the party were refreshed with tea at the hospitable invitation of the Rector, who also exhibited a chalice, which, he said, was thought to be the latest piece of pre-Reformation Communion plate known.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 283-5 (Monograph). SDO149.

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 405-6 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24652 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the sixteenth century chalice from St Mary's Church, Sturminster Marshall. This print was received from the Dorset County Museum in 1967.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209589 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 4 2025 1:31PM