Description

ST 81 SE IWERNE STEPLETON

4/159 Church of St Mary
14-7-55
G.V. II*

Parish church, Cll, largely refenestrated and vestry added C19. Roughcast
walls, structure appears to be of flint and rubble with squared rubble
dressings. Roof is partially tiled and partially stone slated with stone
copings. Plan; nave, chancel, north vestry, south porch. East window is
pointed, of 2 lights with Perpendicular tracery, probably C15. The other
windows are mainly similar but of the C19. The north wall has a blocked
original round headed loop set high up. According to Hutchins there were
8 similar windows in the nave and they may be concealed under the render.
North and south doorways have chamfered 4-centred heads and continuous jambs.
C19 open timber porch with stone-slated roof.

Internal features (RCHM). The original plan of the church is uncertain. The
chancel walls are of great thickness and may once have supported a tower. The
east chancel wall has a round headed recess which may be the original sanctuary
arch. The arch is of a single order of plain voussoirs springing from chamfered
imposts enriched with a pattern of small rectangles enclosing diagonal crosses
and pearls. This decoration is original only on the imposts in the reveals
of the archway and is elsewhere of the C19. Square, undecorated responds.
The present chancel archis round headed and rendered but presumably of the
Cll. Chancel to vestry arch is C19. C14 niche in north respond of former
east archway has cusped 2-centred head and stop chamfered jambs. C15 piscina
with cinqufoil ogee-headed opening in square head. Various C19 monuments
including one to Peter Beckford the writer on foxhunting. Monument to
Martha Cameron Lindsay of 1921 by Francois Sicard (Newman and Pevsner),
marble relief with seated figure. The church is of considerable archaeological
interest and it is possible that further early features may be found beneath
the rendering. (RCHM, Dorset, vol. III, p.131, no. 1. Newman, J and Pevsner, N.
The Buildings of England: Dorset, 1972, p.241.)

Listing NGR: ST8628211246

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17540428

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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