Details
ST 40 SW BROADWINDSOR CHURCH PATH
11-11-1966
4/27 Parish Church of
St John the Baptist
GV II*
Parish Church. Late C12, early C13 core, C15 west tower with reset
material. Drastic restoration by G M Allen of Crewkerne (1868), when
nave and aisles extended one bay to the east, chancel and north aisle
rebuilt. North vestry and south porch added. Rubble-stone and lias
ashlar walls. Tile and lead roofs. West tower: 3 stages, late C14,
much restored by Allen, set-back buttresses with set-offs. Crenellated
parapet with gargoyles. 2-light bell-openings with ogee-panelled
tracery. Newel stair on north side. C14 west doorway, 2-centred
with continuous moulded jambs. 3-light panel-tracery window over, by
Allen. South aisle of 5 bays, much rebuilt. Windows: west is a 3-
lighter, trefoil-cusped with panel tracery over, C15. Rest are 3-
light, trefoil-cusped with square heads over by Allen. Buttressed.
String with gargoyles and crenellated parapet over. Clerestory with
5, 2-light cusped ogee lights in a square head, crenellated parapet
over. Chancel, rebuilt, 2 bays, 2-light cusped windows with ogee
heads. Door with chamfered jambs and cusped ogival head with a round
label over. 2 large buttresses with set-offs. Stone gable-coping
with cross at apex. East window, 3-lights with flowing tracery.
Label with head-stops. South porch: diagonal buttresses, 2-centred
entrance with moulded jambs and one respond order. Label over,
stopped with ogee finial, poppy-head-stopped. Same parapets and
gargoyles over. Recessed arms (St George; St Andrew) with labels
over. South door to church, C14 continuous moulded jambs, with 2
quirks. Interior: Nave, now 5 bays, south arcade, late C12, round
piers with square scallop-capitals. Pointed arches with a slight
chamfer. North arcade, early C13, with round moulded capitals
arches with 2 chamfered orders. Flat square bases and water-holding
bases respectively. Rebuilt clerestory over a continuous string.
Chancel-arch, C19, with continuous jambs, and a stopped respond order,
with quasi stiff-leaf capitals. Label with head-stops, Internally,
windows have re e-arches, often segmental-pointed. Roofs, nave Cl9,
queen-struts with arch-braces to a high-collar. Tie beams with wall-braces
to stone corbels. Pierced quatrefoil wall-plate. Chancel, double
pitched, and with 20 compartments, bossed at the intersections. Hidden
ashlaring. Fittings: font: square Purbeck stone bowl with stone base
corner responds, Cl3. Pulpit: 7-sided oak, with buttressed and
pinnacled angels, 2 tiers of panels, upper with conventional foliage,
enriched cable for middle-rail, Cl6, Cornice and base are C2O. Piscinae:
north ai&le, east wall, with trefoil ogee head and sexfoiled drain, Cl4
south aisle, east wall, moulded jambs, trefoiled-ogee head, label and
round drain, Cl4. Wall-Tablet in chancel: Edith Gundrey, 1695. Tower:
wall-momment to E Hallson etc, 1839. Standing Dragoon.
Sources: R.C.H.M. Dorset I, p 52 (1). F.P.Pitfield, Dorset Parish
Churches A-D, p 119-123.
Listing NGR: ST4377702651
