CHURCHES IN THE RURAL DEANERY OF DORCHESTER. OO 



SOUTH SIDE : WINDOWS, Flamboyant (beginning of 15th century). 

 SOUTH DOORWAY, ancient. 



TOWER, 14th century period with 15th century insertions and 

 additions. 



The spiral staircase in the south-west corner, enclosed in oak 

 casing, belongs to the fan tracery period of Henry VIII. reign. 

 FURNITURE. FONT, 13th century. 



In the churchyard was a 15th century cross, of which only the 

 foundations and steps now remain. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AS RECORDED IN ITS STONES : The 

 original church was of Norman construction, built circa 1140. 

 This church it is reasonable to suppose was of the type common to 

 village churches of the Norman period, a long narrow building, 

 whose timber roof was covered with thatch or shingles of wood. 

 The Norman church may have been burnt out, or it may have been 

 taken down to make way for a larger building ; both hypotheses are 

 tenable. That some disaster befel the church is probable, if only 

 from the disappearance of the Norman font at so early a period as 

 the Early English, whilst the fact that the Early English church 

 had entrances on the north, west, and south seems to show that the 

 village had extended on all sides of it. 



A piscina belonging to this church was found in a heap of 

 stones, the remains of the old chancel. Originally it projected 

 from the wall and was supported on a shaft. Of the Early English 

 church which succeeded the Norman building, the porch, chancel 

 arch, hagioscopes, walls, and font remain. Surmounting the gable 

 of the western end was in all probability a bell turret or cage. 

 This gave place, a hundred years later or so, to the present tower, 

 which belongs to the 14th century period. 



Early in the 15th century the Flamboyant windows were 

 inserted in the south side, and later in the same century the 

 windows on the north side and the Perpendicular insertions 

 in the tower were added the windows in the place of the 

 Early English windows. In the heads of the windows are 

 fragments of well painted glass the sacred monogram and the 



