Details
SY 4699/4799 NETHERBURY TOWER HILL
11-11-1966
10/165 CHURCH OF ST MARY
GV I
Parish Church, C14 nave and aisles, with C14/15 chancel, C15 west
tower. South porch rebuilt in 1848. Organ chamber and north vestry
built in 1894. Rubble-stone and ashlar walls. Slate and lead roofs.
West Tower: 3 stages with an embattled parapet. West doorway: moulded
jambs and 2-centred head. West window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with
tracery in a pointed head with a label. 2nd stage: windows with one
trefoiled light. Bell-chamber has window with 2 trefoiled lights and
tracery. Spiral staircase projects in south-east corner. Nave: south
elevation, 4 bays, diagonally buttressed at corners, with 3 3-light
cinquefoiled windows with panel tracery. Chancel: 2 bays, 2 C15 windows
to south and a 4-light C15 west window. South doorway, of same date.
North aisle with C15 buttresses to C14 masonry, and C15 windows.
C14 east window of 3 trefoiled ogee lights in a square head. North
doorway and window over, C20. South porch, in Perpendicular style,
rebuilt.
Interior: Nave arcade of 4 bays, piers with responds and hollow chamfer
in the diagonals, standing on tall bases. 2-centred arches with wave-
sunk quadrant-wave mouldings. Roof, C19 renewal, through-purlin roof,
arch braced, with short king-posts over. Ashlaring at wall-plate.
Chancel roof, similar, though with queen-struts above high collars.
Fittings: Font, Purbeck marble, square bowl with arched panels and
simple foliage spanrels on top. Central, and four subsidiary shafts
with moulded capping and base, late C12. Pulpit: c. 1630, 7-sided,
with fluted Corinthian corners on corbelled-out lion-mask plinths.
2 tiers of decorated arcading (inlaid) to each panel, with egg-and-
dart and rosette ornament. Upper, middle and lower rails with various
ornaments. Fluted trumpet base and short stem. More Monument, south
aisle, late as, canopied tomb of alabaster. Tomb Chest has 6 bays,
each with angel holding a blank shield under an ogee crocketted arch.
Alabaster effigy in plate-armour, head on helm, remains of beast at
feet. Parts of arms and legs broker; Stone canopy with embattled
side-shafts, septfoiled and sub-cusped 4-centred arch in straight
head. Wall-monuments: to Peter Brice, vicar, 1740 (chancel). To
H. Saunders MA., vicar, 1673, stone and marble tablet with Ionic
side columns, entablature, cresting and achievement-of-arms. To
Robert Conway, 1837, marble tablet in stone frame with cornice.
(See R.C.H.M. for fuller list). Piscina: south aisle, with moulded
jambs, trefoiled head and round drain, C13.
Source: R.C.H.M. Dorset I, p 170(1).
Listing NGR: SY4703099464
