Listed Building record MDO9032 - Abbey Church of Saint Mary, Saint Sansom and Saint Branwalader, Milton Abbey, Milton Abbas

Former church of a Benedictine Abbey. Mainly fourteenth century, upper part of tower and north transept fifteenth. Restored in about 1790 by J Wyatt, and again in 1865 by Sir Gilbert Scott. Alternative name, Abbey Church Of St Mary St Simon And St Branwalader.

The original Minister dedicated to St Mary, St Sampson and St Branwalader, was founded by King Athelston in 933. Of this building a solitary fragment lies in the N Transept. The Church was enlarged if not rebuilt in Norman times, but almost totally destroyed in a fire of 1309. The present Abbey Church was started in 1322 and building continued up to within a few years of the Dissolution in 1539. The Lady Chapel was destroyed after the dissolution, and in 1789 church restoration of sorts despoiled it of many of its fittings, chantry chapels etc <2>.

The Abbey Church stands to the south of the site of the Abbey. It is T-shaped and consists of a chancel, a N and S aisle, a transept and square tower, but has no nave.

The nave, which was burnt down in 1309 seems never to have been rebuilt, but it possibly extended from the W end of the church to the extremity of the churchyard. (Full architectural details of interior of church) <3>.

The Abbey Church comes under the Diocese of Salisbury, and the upkeep falls upon that Diocese. The building is however used as a chapel for Milton Abbey School, and not used as a parish church <4.1>. The building is in a good state of preservation, and correctly portrayed on the OS 1/2500, 1901. <4>

Abbey Church of St Mary, St Sampson and St Branwalader. Grade I. <5,6> (See ST 70 SE 47 for illus and additional bibliography)
Part of a 10th century cross shaft are in the South transept. The interlace type does not conform to any geometric form, and may be compared with Whitcombe. <7>.

1964, Millennium of the foundation of the Monastery 964-1964, Milton Abbey (Monograph). SDO18184.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

ST 79820228) Abbey Church

<2> Pentin Rev H, 1904, Milton Abbey and its School, 5-11 (Unpublished document). SDO17591.

<3> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition (Monograph). SDO10245.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 27-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4.1> C Rand, 27-AUG-55, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: Mr C Rand, Bursar, Milton Abbey School, Milton Abbas (Verbal communication). SDO17590.

<5> DOE (HHR), 1983, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset District, 56 (Scheduling record). SDO17556.

Oct-1985

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

<7> English Heritage, 1984-1987, Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England: Dorset (Monograph). SWX1383.

<8> Cramp, R, 2006, Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol VII. South-West England, 107-8 (Monograph). SDO17427.

<9> Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1957, Medieval Archaeology: journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology 1 (Serial). SDO16978.

<10> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 138 (Serial). SDO55.

<12> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1957, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1956, 87 (Serial). SDO56.

<13> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1959, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1957, 115 (Serial). SDO57.

<14> Marshall, K, 2015, Milton Abbey School, Milton Abbas, Nr Blandford Forum, Dorset. Report on Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SDO14060.

<15> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 183-185 (Monograph). SDO136.

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201921 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<17> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1572641 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 30 2023 8:08AM