Monument record MDO702 - Porch to Abbots Hall, Cerne Abbas

Porch to former abbots hall, built under Abbot Thomas Sam (1497-1509). Ashlar stone walls, with dressed stone masonry on south face, and brick facing on upper part of east face. Slate roof.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 77-80 (Monograph). SDO97.

The Abbot's Hall was built by Abbot Thomas Sam (1497–1509). It has been destroyed except for the porch and the adjoining portion of the W. wall of the hall. These are of local rubble with ashlar and free-stone dressings. The hall stood N. and S. but the length and width are indeterminate. The doorway from the porch has moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head with traceried spandrels enclosing shields-of-arms of the Duchy of Cornwall and the abbey. Above the doorway is an internal string-course carved with a Tudor rose, a beast and foliage; in the angle with the former N. wall is a grouped wallshaft with foliated capitals and chamfered bases resting on a half-angel holding a shield; about 12 ft. to the S. is a second grouped wall-shaft of similar character; they presumably supported the timber wall-posts of the roof. Higher in the wall is a late 16th-century window of three square-headed lights with a label, the wall above sets back about three feet, perhaps for a wall-walk. The Porch (Plate 105) is of three storeys with diagonal buttresses and a modern embattled parapet. The outer entrance has moulded jambs and four-centred arch with a label and beast-stops. Above the entrance is a two storeyed oriel-window resting on deep moulded corbelling; the front window on the first floor is a modern restoration except for the outer moulded jambs; the returns have each a window of one cinque-foiled ogee light; at the angles are shafts or buttresses springing from half-angels holding banners with the arms a cross paty for Latimer (?) and three wounds or cloud-bursts; below the window is a range of quatre-foiled panels enclosing shields-of-arms and with enriched string-courses above and below; the arms are:—(a) Duchy of Cornwall; (b) France and England quarterly; (c) Daubeney in a garter; (d) the Abbey; (e) Fitz-James; (f) Latimer (?); (g) Newburgh (?) with a label impaling a border engrailed with a bend over all; (h) Newburgh (?) impaling Wadham. The second floor has a window of three cinque-foiled lights on the face and one on each return; below it is a band of quatre-foiled panels enclosing shields and string-courses with carved paterae; the shields bear:—(a) Tudor rose; (b) portcullis; (c) rebus presumably of Abbot Thomas Sam, a T. with a crozier and a salmon; (d) an O with an owl above, probably for Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter; (e) Uvedale quartering Scures (?); (f) Martin of Athelhampton; (g) a bray or brake for Bray (?). The porch has a damaged fan-vaulted roof, the cones springing from moulded and foliated corbels; the cones have trefoil-headed panels and the spandrel has cusped panelling and a damaged central shield with the rebus of Abbot Sam; at the main intersections are foliage-bosses. In the S. wall of the porch is a cruciform loop, now blocked. In the N. wall are two blocked windows to the porter's room. The Porter's Lodging is of two storeys with a pent-roof. The ground-floor is entered by a doorway from the stair-turret on the E. with a four-centred head. In the W. wall is a window of one four-centred light and a fireplace with a four-centred head. The upper room has a W. window of two plain lights and a fireplace in the S. wall, similar to that on the ground floor.

Record last edited

Jan 17 2025 4:01PM