Details
SS8846
PORLOCK CP HIGH STREET (South side)
24/55
Church of St Dubricius
22.5.69
GV I
Parish church. C13 tower, late C13-early C14 south arcade, C15 porch and east vestry or sacristy added, 1703 spire
damaged, 1769 screen removed, 1889 tower restored, 1890 organ chamber added, 1892 church restored and choir stalls
added from designs of J D Sedding, 1901 further alterations including stained glass by E Buckle. West tower, 4-bay nave
and south aisle, south chapel, north porch, north-east choir vestry with organ chamber, chancel with south east
priest's vestry. Blue lias and red sandstone random rubble, Ham stone dressings, organ chamber with squared and coursed
sandstone above string course, snecked granite below Slate roof with slight bell-cast, coped verges, wooden shingles on
tower roof. Two stage tower, stepped diagonal buttresses rising half a stage, octagonal broached spire, wooden
shingles, 4 gabled dormers, truncated top, tall lancet west window, west door; 3-light west window in south aisle,
three 2-light windows, 3 full height stepped buttresses, 3-light east window to aisle, grotesque gargoyle at junction
with chancel, chancel 2-light south window, 3-light untraceried lancet window east end, vestry chamfered pointed arch
doorway, 3-light window right, lancet to 1890 addition, north wall of nave 2-light windows flanking inserted C19 window
left of stair projection, another 2-light window to right of 2-storey, gabled porch with clasping buttresses, blind
niche and inserted trefoil headed lancet above pointed arch opening, inserted lancet on left return first floor, holy
water stoop to left of chamfered pointed arch doorway, door erected 1953 in memory of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation,
Perpendicular tomb chest resited from churchyard on east wall, quatrefoil decoration with Instruments of the Passion.
Interior: rendered, exposed quoins to openings. Five bay arcade of octagonal piers, pointed arch openings chamfered in
2 orders. No chancel arch, corbelled truss; pointed chamfered tower arch, C19 panelled oak screen. Late C19 roofs:
ceiled wagon roof in chancel, rafter roof in nave and aisle, latter with remains of original wall plate on south wall,
ceiled roof to chapel. Low trefoil-headed opening to rood stair door opposite third pier from chancel with roof loft
opening in spandrel. Trefoil-headed piscina in chancel; 4-centred chamfered arch openings to priest's vestry from
chancel, to blocked south aisle entrance, and to parvise stairway, 2-light cinquefoil headed window in north chancel
wall above Perpendicualr tomb-chest ornamented with shields, trefoil headed niches flanking circular panels with
trefoils. It is thought that the 2 tomb chests in porch and chancel are those mentioned in the will of Alice Hensley
dated 1527. Aumbry in south chapel, with very fine canopy tomb with alabaster effigies of Lord Harrington, died 1417,
and his wife, both defaced with inscriptions. Two moulded segmental headed tomb recesses in south wall, one empty,
other with reset efigy of cross legged knight, late C13. Perpendicular octagonal font with C19 font cover. Two small
incised pieces of a Saxon cross set in west end wall. Reredos by W H R Blacking dated 1931. Rare pre-pendulue clock
thought to be c1400-50 at west end. Large panels of tinted glass with a floral design similar to Church of St Mary (qv)
Luccombe CP give a pleasing effect. Tower said to contain C17 ladder to bell chamber. Rare dedication to St Dubricius,
the C6 Welsh saint. (Photographs in NMR; Kelly's Directory, 1906).
Listing NGR: SS8864246665
