Listed Building record MDO950 - St Mary's Church, Corscombe

A parish church with walls of local rubble stone with ashlar and dressings of Ham Hill stone, and stone slate covered roof. The church was largely rebuilt in the fifteenth century and some parts were rebuilt either in the middle of the eighteenth century or in the nineteenth century, when there was more rebuilding and the South Chapel was added..

Church of St Mary. The church was loyaly rebuilt in the C15th and to that period belongs parts of the arcade of the North wall of the nave, the West tower and the North porch. The rest of the church was rebuilt either in the C18th or in 1875-7 by J M Allen of Crewkerne when the chancel and South aisle were rebuilt and South chapel added. <3-4>

The church was probably founded after the donation of the estate to Shernorne Abbey by King Cuthred in 740-56. <4>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 105-106 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY stands on the S.E. side of the village. The walls are of local rubble with ashlar and dressings of Ham Hill stone; the roofs are covered with stone-slates and lead. The church was largely rebuilt in the 15th century and to this period belong parts of the arcade and of the N. wall of the Nave, the West Tower and the North Porch. The rest of the church was rebuilt either in the middle of the 18th century or in 1878, when the Chancel and South Aisle were rebuilt and the South Chapel added.

Architectural Description - The Nave (48 ft. by 18 ft.) retains the W. part of the 15th century N. wall; the N. doorway has moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head with quatrefoiled spandrels; flanking it are standards set diagonally and each face with two heights of trefoil-headed panels; in the top are angel-head brackets formerly supporting images; at the level of the door-head above are two-sided crocketed and finialled canopies with traceried soffits; above the doorway are three niches with half-angels as brackets, side-standards and trefoiled gables with crockets and finials and traceried soffits; further W. is a modern window. The S. arcade is of five bays of which three westernmost are much restored but of early to mid 15th century date; the arches are two-centred and moulded and spring from hollow-chamfered piers each with four attached shafts having moulded capitals and hollow-chamfered bases; the W. respond is in the form of a half-pier.

The West Tower (11 ft. square) is of mid 15th century date and of three stages with an embattled parapet angle-pinnacles and gargoyles. The partly restored two-centred tower-arch is moulded and springs from moulded responds each with an attached shaft with a moulded capital and chamfered base. The W. window has moulded reveals and two-centred head; the mullion and tracery are modern; the W. doorway has partly restored moulded jambs and old two-centred head. The second stage has a square-headed window in the E. and N. walls. The bell-chamber has in the E., N. and W. wall a window of two trefoiled lights with blocked tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals; the former S. window has been removed.

The North Porch is of the 15th century and has a low-pitched gable with gargoyles. The outer archway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch with a label. In the E. wall are two windows of two trefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a square head with a label. In the W. wall is a shallow recess with a four-centred head.

Fittings - Bells: six; the old peal was recast and a sixth bell added by Thomas Bilbie, 1773. Font: octagonal bowl with one or two trefoiled-headed panels in each face, moulded lower edge, 15th century, partly restored, stem and base modern. Monuments: and Floor-slab. Monuments: In W. tower - on N. wall, (1) to Joseph Bishop, 1823, Sarah his wife, 1800 and others, wall tablet by Chislett of Beaminster, sculptor; (2) to Elizabeth (Bowring), window of William Weaver, 1837, white marble wall-tablet with flanking pilaster-strips and a draped sarcophagus and bay tree on the cornice, by Wilkins; on S. wall, (3) to John Dobson, S.T.B., rector, 1681, stone tablet with shield-of-arms; (4) to Rev. William Nicholson, rector, 1810, white marble wall-tablet with crest; (5) to Rev. John Munden, rector, 1821, and four sons, white marble wall-tablet with bible, by Wilkins, Beaminster. In churchyard - E. of chancel, (6) to Joseph Russell, 1673, table-tomb; (7) to Grace, wife of George Cox, 1694, headstone; (8) to John Games, 1652, Francis his elder brother, 1686, Ellen his granddaughter, 1702, Ellen Games, 1708 and Mary Games, 1719, table-tomb; (9) to Henry Gurry, 1695, headstone; (10) to Magdalin, wife of John Dough, 1700, headstone; N. of nave, (11) to John Baker, 1690, and others later, table-tomb; N. of chancel, (12) to Mary, wife of William Burt c. 1700, headstone; (13) to Mary, daughter of William Snatdon, 1714, Christian, daughter of the above, 1710, Robert Snatdon, 1715, Christian his wife, 1688, and Elias, 1700, and Matthew, 1708, their sons; table-tomb; S. of S. aisle, (14) to Ann, wife of John Wills, 1714, headstone; (15) to John Hallet, 1690, headstone. Floor-slab: In N. porch - to Joane (Quick), wife of Richard Locket, rector, 1655-6. Seating: In tower - two coffin-stools with turned legs, 17th century. Table: In vestry - with cabriole legs and inlaid front rail, early 18th century.'

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

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, 1974 (Map). SDO10373.

(ST 52220486) St Mary's Church [NAT]

<4> Hall, T A, 2000, Minster Churches in the Dorset Landscape (Monograph). SDO10264.

Incomplete citation by NRHE. This is considered to be the most likely.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 882454 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 3:57PM