Listed Building record MDO9007 - Parish Church of Saint James, Milton Abbas

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JAMES (80650178) stands near the centre of the 18th-century village. Its walls are of Greensand ashlar with dressings of Ham Hill stone and it is roofed with slates and tiles. If the original building was not actually designed by Sir William Chambers, he was at least interested in its construction; it consisted of a Chancel, Nave and West Tower and was consecrated in 1786. In 1888 the chancel was enlarged the chancel and tower arches were rebuilt, and the S. aisle was added. <2,3>

Parish Church of St James. Grade 2*. (4) St James 1786 by James Wyatt. In 1888-9 WJ Fletcher built a new chancel and South aisle. <5>

The Parish Church of St. James, Milton Abbas (Monograph). SDO18186.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1968 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 80650178) Ch (NAT)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 189-190 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(2) THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JAMES (80650178) stands near the centre of the 18th-century village, 1,000 yds. S.E. of (1). Its walls are of Greensand ashlar with dressings of Ham Hill stone and it is roofed with slates and tiles. If the original building was not actually designed by Sir William Chambers, he was at least interested in its construction (B.M., Add. MS., 41133, ff. 125, 127, 131); it consisted of a Chancel, Nave and West Tower and was consecrated in 1786. In 1888 the chancel was enlarged, the chancel and tower arches were rebuilt, and the S. aisle was added (Faculty Petition in Salisbury Diocesan Archives).
Architectural Description—The E. wall of the Chancel was built in 1886. The N. wall is in two parts; that to the E. is of 1886, that to the W. is original and has an 18th-century two-centred window of two lights with a forked mullion and a plain spandrel; it is blocked up internally. The S. wall and the chancel arch are of 1886. The N. wall of the Nave is original; it has three two-centred windows similar to that of the chancel but of three lights, the forked mullions intersecting to form tracery. The S. arcade and S. aisle are of 1886. The West Tower is original and has three stages separated by moulded string-courses; at the top is an embattled parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles; there are no buttresses. On the E., a two-centred tower arch of two plain orders with continuous ovolo mouldings replaces the narrower original archway. On the N. and S. sides, in the lower stage, are two-light windows uniform with the original window in the chancel. The W. doorway has a two-centred head and continuous jambs, with hollow-chamfered and ogee mouldings; it is surmounted by concentric and square hood-moulds, in the spandrels of which are shields-of-arms of Damer impaling Sackville, with a baron's coronet, and of Milton Abbey. The second stage has, on the N. side, a clock-face in a square panel with a moulded border; the W. side has a square panel containing a quatrefoil and a rosette. The third stage is set slightly back and has, in the E., N. and W. sides, pointed two-light windows as before described.
Fittings—Bell: one, brought from the Abbey Church, inscribed in Lombardic lettering 'Sancta Ihohannes'. Benefactor's Table: In nave, N. of tower arch, of John Ham, 1844, marble slab by Simmonds of Blandford. Bier: with sliding poles, probably 19th century. Clock: In tower, by Arnold of Child Okeford, 1787. Coffin-stools: pair, late 18th century. Font: In tower, of Purbeck marble, with octagonal bowl decorated on each face with two shallow trefoil-headed panels; below, octagonal centre shaft and eight octagonal corner-shafts standing on hollow-chamfered octagonal base; underneath, octagonal plinth of Ham Hill stone with, on four contiguous sides, frieze of quatrefoils between chamfered and hollow-chamfered mouldings; bowl, shafts and base probably of the 13th century but with 18th-century reworking; plinth, late 15th century. Font-cover, of oak with ogee profile and foliate finial, late 18th century.
Monuments: In churchyard, several headstones of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Plate: includes silver cup and cover-paten with hallmarks for 1636 and donor's inscription of John Chappell, 1637; stand-paten with donor's inscription of Mary Savage, 1678; two flagons with hallmarks of 1663 and donor's inscription of 'Maddam Jane Tregonwell . . . 1675'. Pulpit: Octagonal, with panelled sides in two heights between vertical pilasters inlaid with marquetry (Plate 47); panelling moulded and fielded, the fields ornamented with subsequently applied tracery; at top, continuous moulded cornice, mitred and returned around projection of pilasters; late 18th century, with 19th-century alterations. Seating: In nave, pews with moulded top rails, panelled backs, shaped seat brackets, and pew-ends panelled in simple tracery, perhaps late 18th century. Tables of Creed, Decalogue etc.: Reset in S. aisle, six wooden panels with two-centred heads, inscribed in gilt letters on black ground, dated 1830 and signed 'John Bellamy fecit'. Miscellanea: Gates, in N. side of churchyard, of scrolled wrought iron, hung on iron posts carried up to support central lantern, 18th century; at N.E. corner of churchyard, similar gates, less elaborate and without lantern arch.’

<3> DOE (HHR), 1954, List of Buildings of Special Historic or Architectural Interest: Blandford Rural District, 9 (Scheduling record). SDO17701.

<4> DOE (HHR), List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset, 51 (Scheduling record). SDO17666.

Oct 1985

<5> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 294 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205806 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 17 2025 10:52AM