Parish Church of St Mary

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1119274
Date first listed:
31-Jul-1961
List Entry Name:
Parish Church of St Mary
Statutory Address:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY
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Date:
2001-06-30
Reference:
IOE01/05603/20
Rights:
© Mr Brian Haigh. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1119274
Date first listed:
31-Jul-1961
List Entry Name:
Parish Church of St Mary
Statutory Address 1:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Dorset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Melbury Bubb
National Grid Reference:
ST 59595 06549

Details

MELBURY BUBB MELBURY BUBB ST 50 NE VILLAGE Parish Church 2/73 of St Mary 31.7.61 I GV Parish Church. South Tower, later C15. Nave and chancel C15, rebuilt in 1854, probably by Withers of Sherborne. Rubble-stone walls, with ashlar stone dressings. Slate roofs, with stone gable-copings. South tower, of four stages, with ground stage as porch entrance to church. Diagonal buttresses. Doorway in the south hall has jambs and pointed-arch head of two chamfered orders. Second stage, east wall: window of one trefoiled light. String-course. Third stage has in middle of each face a standard set diagonally, resting on half- angels holding shields. Above this, a frieze of quatrefoils enclosing paterae, shields, the initials B. and W. B. on the south face, for Walter Bokeler, rector, c.1470-80. Bell-chamber has in each wall a window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head, stone tracery to the louvres. Embattled parapet, with a small pinnacle to each central merlon. The stair turret is an addition of later date than the remainder of the tower. Chancel, rebuilt in C19, of 2 bays with diagonal buttresses. Side windows are of 2 lights, cinquefoil-cusped with cusped panel tracery over, casement-moulded reveals. Moulded label with head-stops. Priest's door to chancel, with moulded jambs and pointed-arch head. Plank door. East window: C15 reset. 3-light with ogee trefoil cusping. Two main panels over, with falchions. Small C19 niche in gable-head. Nave, 3 bays, C19 rebuild. The south-east window is of 3 lights and retains parts of old tracery; the second window on the north has an C15 head of 3 trefoiled lights with panel tracery; the western pair of windows have C15 heads of 3 cinquefoiled ogee lights with panel tracery. West window has Y-tracery and panel-tracery head. Blocked doorway beneath, with moulded jambs and pointed head, C19 label. Interior: Nave, roof has high collar, waggon- braced, short king-post and longitudinal plate. Fleuron bosses at the intersections. Chancel, roof of mansard profile, compartmented and bossed at the intersections, C19. Chancel-arch, with moulded jambs continuous into pointed arch stepped and pyramid stops, C19. Fittings: Font, cylindrical tapering stone bowl, reversed, formerly base of a shaft, carved with continuous design of beasts: stag, horse, wolf, and ? lion, and lesser beasts, and interlacement, C10. Stained glass: late C15. East window, shields of arms of Wane and Mattravers,symbols of the 4 evangelists, crowns, inscription. N window, centre, Annunciation with figures of Virgin and St Gabriel. N.W. window, small head of Christ and panels of Wise and Foolish Virgins, with inscriptions. Main lights, figure of Christ with 5 wounds originally carried as rays to 7 sacraments' panels. Ordination survives. W. window tracery, C15 glass. (RCHM Dorset I, p.158(1))

Listing NGR: ST5959406550

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
105822
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Inventory of Dorset, (1952), 158

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Parish Church of St Mary

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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