Details
SY 6085 PORTESHAM FRONT STREET, WEST SIDE
11/182 Parish Church of St Peter
26.1.56
GV I
Parish Church. C12 remains in nave, C13 nave walls, west tower and chancel, C14
refenestration (chancel), C15 refenestration (nave), C16 north and south aisles
and south porch, C17 fenestration (nave), and tower doorway. Portesham rubble
and dressed stone walls. Slate (chancel) and lead (nave and aisle) roofs. West
Tower: 3 stages, with 2-stage angle buttresses to lower part C13. C15 top stage,
and newel stair in south-east corner. West doorway, C17, with a chamfered 4-centred
head with elliptical-headed window over. 2nd stage with small single-light windows.
Top stage: window of 2 trefoiled lights with sunk spandrels in a square head, east
and west with labels. Newel divided by weathered strings and parapet string with
gargoyles. Nave: remains of C12 walling in north wall and line of arcade springing
from round pier with scalloped capital, C16 wall with C20 blocking between. c.C12
masonry in wall behind porch. Nave mainly C13, south wall with C17 2-light window
at west end, and 2-light C15 window with 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights. South Porch,
C16 with a 2-centred entrance arch. North and south aisles, each of 2 bays, C16,
with windows of 3 cinquefoiled ogee lights in a square head with a label, ending
in head stops. North aisle west window, C17 with C20 blocking. Chancel C13, with
a doorway in the north wall with roll-moulded jambs and continuous trefoiled head.
C14 2-light window with quatrefoil in a pointed arch head, west of this. Late C15
3-light east window with vertical tracery in a 2-centred head. Two small blocked
round-headed windows, C12, above chancel arch visible externally. Interior: Tower-
arch, pointed and of 2 chamfered orders, C13. North and south arcades of 2 4-centred
arches from a rectangular responded central pier, with mouldings and panelling,
c.1500. Chancel-arch, c.1500, pointed. Plain squint each side. Fittings: Font,
square tapered bowl with chamfered angles, circular stem, C13. Pulpit: six sides
of an octagon, panelled, C17 on C20 base. Screen: timber, early C16, in 3 main
bays with centre pair of doors. Brackets: 17, of stone, C12 and early C16. South
doorway, of double boarding with nail-studded battens, centrally hinged, C16.
Monuments, eighteen, mainly C17 and C18, see RCHM. Piscina: in south aisle with
chamfered 2-centred head, C13. External Table-Tomb, south aisle, to William Weave,
1670, with panelled sides, ends carved with blank shields and scrollwork,
inscription (renewed).
(RCHM Dorset II, p.242 (1)).
Listing NGR: SY6025885840
