Parish Church of St Aldhelm

Details

POOLE

SZ09SE ST ALDHELM'S ROAD 958-1/6/149 (East side) 14/06/54 Parish Church of St Aldhelm

II*

Church. 1892-94. By Bodley and Garner. Completed 1911 by GG Hare except for projected SW tower, which remains unexecuted. Brick core faced with limestone ashlar and plain-tile roofs. 3-aisled church with no structural division between nave and chancel, vestry to N side of chancel and N porch. Late Gothic, broadly Decorated style. Sanctuary projects 1 bay beyond S aisle and has 7-light E window with Perpendicular principal mullions defining central 3 lights, sub-arches to outer lights, multi-foiled reticulated tracery and hoodmould; blank lights below transom with sacred Monogram on shield to central division which has blank cusped ogee-arched tracery head. Single-storey 2-bay vestry over boiler room to N side of chancel has 3-light E window with cusped ogee-arched heads to lights and straight head, similar window to N side and double-chamfered N door with hoodmould. N aisle has 9 bays, of which the westernmost is windowless, and porch to penultimate western bay. Aisle has single stone bellcote to outer side of E gable with pinnacle and pair of stone flues near apex. 2-light windows to N with cinquefoil-headed lights and spherical cusped triangle to head and hoodmoulds. Porch has doorway with many-moulded head dying into wave-moulded jambs, hoodmould and double wrought-iron gates. Tall niche above with statue of St Aldhelm. Front is flanked by gabled buttresses and has stone-coped gable with kneelers. Porch has 8 arch-braced rafters with king posts. N door has 3 shallow hollow chamfers to head; dying into chamfered jambs and double-leaf door with ornamented hinges. S aisle has 10 bays of which the 2 westernmost bays are windowless. Aisle has 3-light E window with foiled reticulated tracery with hoodmould, and 3-light window to easternmost bay of S side with straight head, cinquefoil headed lights and pair of cusped spherical triangles to head; otherwise 2-light windows to S with reticulated tracery and hoodmoulds. S door to penultimate western bay has 3 hollow chamfers to head dying into chamfered jambs. The projected tower in front, incorporating a S porch was not executed. W end has 2-light windows to aisles with cusped Y-tracery, cinquefoiled heads to lights and hoodmoulds, and a string course at cill level between buttresses. W door interrupts a high plinth and has many-moulded and chamfered head dying into double-chamfered jambs, hoodmould and 2 stone steps leading to double-leaf door with ornamental hinges. Footscraper niches to plinth either side with chamfered ogee-arched heads. Principal W window has 3-lights with cinquefoiled ogee arched heads, multi-foiled reticulated tracery and hoodmould extended over niches either side. Niches have ogee-arched heads in rectangular surrounds with blank tracery to spandrels and contain statues of Angel of the Annunciation to left and Virgin Mary to right. W front is flanked by offset gabled buttresses and has plinth with deep ridged stone coping interrupted by similar, taller buttresses either side of central bay with terminate between gables of nave and aisles. All gables have moulded stone coping, kneelers and small rectangular ventilation slits. INTERIOR: body of church has 10-bay arcades with clustered piers of quatrefoil section, double-moulded capitals and bases, arches with 2 sunk quadrant mouldings and continuous hoodmoulds. Waggon roof to nave ceiled to easternmost bay with lattice of small decorative ribs and bosses, and polychrome decoration. Aisles have boarded canted waggon roofs. FITTINGS: rood screen of oak in late medieval style. Font of limestone, goblet-shaped. Printed and gilded wood font cover in classical style by Randoll Blacking with openwork obelisk finial and Tuscan columns supporting canopy. Stained-glass windows to S aisle and chancel, 1911 by Brulison and Grylls and to W end 1911 by WE Tower. However according to the Short Guide all the windows are by CE Kempe and Co. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Newman J: Dorset: London: 1972-: 326; Townsend Rev J C: A Short Guide to St Aldhelm's Church Branksome: Poole: 1969-).

Listing NGR: SZ0584691800

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

412582

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Newman, J, The Buildings of England: Dorset, (1972), 326
Townsend, Reverend J C, A Short Guide to St Aldhelms Church Branksome, (1969)

End of official list entry

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