Listed Building record MDO8911 - Parish Church of St Andrew, Church Hill, Milborne St Andrew

Parish Church. 12th century origin, tower and porch 15th century; chancel, vestry, south aisle and chapel circa 1876 by G E Street. Walls - nave of flint, rest of church of flint and stone banding, with stone dressings. Tiled roofs, with coped gables and ornamental ridges. Nave, north aisle of 3 bays, north chapel of 2 bays, chancel with vestry on north, west tower, south porch.

Parish Church of St. Andrew built of flint and stone with ashlar dressings has a nave dating from about the middle of the 12th century; it also has a fine south doorway of that date, and a comtemporary chancel arch, now reset in the north vestry. The east window of the chancel is early 13th century but has been restored and reset; the chancel having been extensively rebuilt in 1876. The south porch and west tower are of the late 15th century and the north transept and north aisle and vestry were added in 1855 and 1876 respectively. <4>

Church of St Andrew. Now redundant and entered in the Redundant Churches Fund. <5>

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 70 Fig 1.9, 78 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> 1965, A short history of Milborne Saint Andrew (Monograph). SDO18183.

<2> Matthews, P, St. Andrew, Milborne St. Andrew, Official Guide, All Saints, Dewlish (Monograph). SDO18187.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1968 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 80129740) St. Andrew's Church (NAT)

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 176-177 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(1) THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW stands in the S. of the village. The walls are of flint and stone with ashlar dressings; the roofs are tiled. The Nave dates from about the middle of the 12th century; it has a fine S. doorway of that date, and a contemporary chancel arch, now reset in the N. Vestry. The E. window of the chancel is of the early 13th century, but it has been restored and reset, the Chancel having been to a very large extent rebuilt in 1876 (faculty petition, Salisbury Diocesan Archives). The South Porch and the West Tower are of the late 15th century. The North Transept was built in 1855 (faculty, loc. cit.) and the North Aisle and North Vestry were added in 1876.
The church is noteworthy for the S. doorway, the font and the former chancel arch, all of which date from the 12th century; there is also a small 15th-century canopied table-tomb.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (22½ ft. by 15½ ft.) has a reset 13th-century E. window of three gradated lancet lights with labels and head-stops, and internal shafts with moulded capitals; the rear-arch is of 1876. The N. wall has two 19th-century archways and the S. wall has two windows of the same period, but the masonry below the window sills is partly mediaeval. The chancel arch is of 1876. The original chancel arch, reset in the W. wall of the N. Vestry and partly restored, has a two-centred head, of one moulded order with chevron ornament on the W. face; each respond has two angle shafts with moulded bases, carved and scalloped caps, and moulded and enriched abaci. The Nave (38 ft. by 19½ ft.) has a 19th-century N. arcade. In the S. wall are two windows; that to the E. is of the early 16th century, with three four-centred lights in a square-headed casement-moulded surround with a moulded label and square stops; that to the W. is of 1876. The S. doorway (Plate 10), of the mid 12th century with some restoration, has shafted jambs with carved caps and vertical bands of chevron ornament flanking the shafts; the arch is of one semicircular order with chevron ornament and has a label with nail-head enrichment; below is a segmental tympanum arch, also with chevron ornament. The doorway is of white Purbeck stone except for the shafts and alternate voussoirs, which are of Ham Hill stone.
The West Tower (10 ft. by 7 ft.) is of two stages, with diagonal buttresses of three weathered stages in the lower stage only; the plinth is hollow-chamfered, the stages of the tower are divided by a weathered string-course and at the top, above a weathered and hollow-chamfered string-course, is an embattled parapet with weathered coping. The tower arch is two-centred and of two wave-moulded orders; the inner order dies into the responds at the springing and the outer order continues on the responds. The vice turret, on the N., is polygonal and has string-courses continuous with those of the tower; the vice doorway has a hollow-chamfered segmental-pointed head with continuous jambs and broach stops; the vice is lit by three chamfered loops. The W. window, in the lower stage, is of 1876. High up in the S. side of the lower stage is a window of one light with a segmental head. In the upper stage, the bell-chamber has in each wall a window of two cinquefoil-headed two-centred lights with vertical tracery under a two-centred head with a label. The South Porch is of the late 15th century and has an archway with a moulded two-centred head and continuous jambs.
The nave has a 15th-century wagon Roof with seven archbraced transverse members moulded on the underside and three similarly moulded longitudinal members, forming six bays, each of four panels; the former plaster background has been removed and the moulded members have been restored. At the intersections of the moulded members are 15th-century wooden bosses with foliate enrichment, some with colour. The embattled wall-plate cornice is of 1876.
Fittings—Bells: five, 1st by John Wallis, inscribed 'Cal upon God, I.W., 1622', 2nd inscribed 'Anno Domini 1616, E.G.H.', others recast or modern. Brass and Indents: see monument (1). Candelabrum: In N. aisle, of brass, with large lower ball, four, originally six, scrolled radial sconce brackets, two small upper balls with radial scrolls, and dove finial at top; lower ball inscribed 'Given to the parish church of Milborne St. Andrews by John Gould Esqr. anno dom. 1712', with arms of Gould impaling Jewe; fitting hangs from roof on twisted iron rods hooked and linked together. Chairs: In chancel, two; one with turned front legs, shaped arms and panelled back with cresting carved with fleur-de-lis and date 1670; another with turned front legs, shaped arms, panelled and enriched back with semicircular carved cresting, late 17th century. Communion Table: In vestry, with turned legs and moulded rails, late 17th or early 18th century. Font: In N. aisle, of tub form, with heavy roll moulding at top flanked by two bands of cable ornament, vertical scallop ornament at base, 12th century; ogee-moulded plinth later.
Monuments and Floor-slab. Monuments: In chancel, reset on N. wall, (1) of John Morton, 1527, small canopied mural table-tomb of Purbeck marble, tomb-chest with cusped quatrefoil panels enclosing blank shields and alternating with narrow cinquefoil-headed panels; on top slab, indent for small brass figure; canopy supported on octagonal shafts with concave sides, joined to back wall by Purbeck marble side screens with trefoil-headed panelling in two heights; soffit of canopy with curvilinear tracery; in front of canopy, moulded flat arch with rounded springings; above, enriched cornice and blind brattishing; on back wall of recess, brass plate (20 ins. by 3½ ins.) with inscription in raised black-letter 'Here lieth John Morton Esquyer son of Richard Morton and Luce his wife, which John decessed the xxvi day of January, the xviii yere of ye rayne of King Henry the viii on whose soul Jh'u have m'cy.'; also indents for brasses of kneeling figures of man and wife, group of children, scrolls, Trinity, square centre plate, and four shields. In vestry, on E. wall, (2) of Edmund Pleydell, 1726, marble tablet with Roman Doric side-columns, pediment and cartouche-of-arms; (3) of John Morton Stuart, 1840 and James William Stuart, 1850, marble tablet; (4) of Mary Sophia (Pleydell), wife of Rev. George Frome, 1827, oval marble tablet with representation of sarcophagus and palm tree in relief, by J. Harris, Bath; (5) of Anne (Luttrell) Pleydell, 1820, tablet; (6) of Edmund Morton Pleydell, 1754, and his wife Deborah, 1740, marble tablet with Ionic side-columns, vases and cartouche-of-arms. In vestry on N. wall, (7) of Archibald Stuart, 1832, and Cornelia his wife, 1830, marble tablet with crest, by Reeves of Bath; (8) of Rev. George Gray Stuart, 1835, marble tablet by Marshall of Blandford; (9) of Sir John Morton, 1698, erected by Elizabeth (Culme) his wife, white and grey marble wall-monument with Corinthian side-columns, broken pediment, vase, cherubs and achievement-of-arms of Morton impaling Culme. In vestry, on W. wall, (10) of Cornelia Pleydell, 1844, tablet; (11) of Anne, 1799, Edmund, 1811, and Marcia Pleydell, 1816, marble tablet; (12) of William Morton Pleydell, 1824, marble tablet with arms. In nave, on W. wall, (13) of Edmund Morton Pleydell, 1794, marble wall-monument with urns, sarcophagus and arms; (14) of John Morton Pleydell, 1705, white marble tablet with carved side-pilasters, cornice, broken pediment and arms of Pleydell quartering Morton; on S. wall, (15) of Elizabeth Margaretta, 1825, and Edmund Morton Pleydell, 1835, oval marble tablet with wreath enrichment, small sarcophagus and arms, by Tyler of Bristol. In tower, on N. wall, (16) of Richard Comyns Cole, 1838, marble tablet with arms; (17) of John Cole, 1790, Rachel (Freke) his wife, 1772, and eight children, marble tablet with arms, by E. Coffin, London; on S. wall, (18) of Judeth (Cole) Gould, 1684, stone and slate wall-monument with carved apron and scroll-work, restored 1839. In churchyard, leaning against S.E. corner of chancel, (19) of Joseph Samplon, 1706, headstone; 10 paces S.W. of tower, (20) of John Holway, 1690, headstone; (21) of Roger …, 1703, headstone. Floor-slab: In vestry, of Elizabeth (Culme) Morton, 1705, polished black marble slab with Latin inscription and arms of Morton impaling Culme.
Piscina: In chancel, reset in S. wall, with restored trefoil head, chamfered jambs and circular basin with drain, 13th-century. Royal Arms: In N. aisle, in wooden surround, painted arms of George III. Sundials: Over archway of S. porch, square raised panel; on S.E. angle of nave, scratch-dial. Miscellanea: In nave, hanging from wall-plate cornices, six wooden cartouches with enriched surrounds, late 17th or early 18th century, with arms as follows: N. side, (i) Morton with baronet's inescutcheon impaling Fountain, (ii) Morton impaling Holloway, (iii) Morton with baronet's inescutcheon impaling Culme; S. side (i) Morton with baronet's inescutcheon, (ii) Morton, (iii) Morton impaling another coat, probably Hopton wrongly coloured. Loose in tower, similar cartouche-of-arms of Morton impaling De la Lynde; also small carved helm. On lead roof of tower, inscription, 'John Roberts, C.W., 1768'.’

<5> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 284 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456059 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:09PM