Church of St Mary
CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1305327
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jul-1955
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-08-26
- Reference:
- IOE01/07270/01
- Rights:
- © Mr Alan Fitzgerald. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1305327
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jul-1955
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Mary
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET
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.
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Dorset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Iwerne Courtney or Shroton
- National Grid Reference:
- ST8598912424
Details
ST 8512 IWERNE COURTNEY OR SHROTON MAIN STREET
(West Side)
11/102
14-7-55 Church of St Mary
GV
I
Church, C14 chancel, C15 tower, nave, north aisle, south chapel and general
remodelling. C17 south aisle and south porch 1871, chancel remodelled 1872,
vestry late C19/early C20. 1610 work for Sir Thomas Freke. Greensand ashlar
walls with tiled roofs having end stone copings with C17 finials. Moulded
cornice. Plan: nave, chancel, north aisle, south aisle and chapel. west tower,
north vestry. Tower: 3 stages separated by weathered strings diagonal
buttresses to first stage has corner pilaster strips; pointed 2-light west
window with stopped labels, rectangular loops to north and south second stage;
2-light, pointed belfrey windows with stopped labels. North aisle and south
chapel windows are C17 of 3 graduated lancets under a pointed head with returned
labels, that to the south aisle is aC19 copy. North and south chancel walls
have C14 2-light windows with ogee quatrefoils. C14 pointed door to south
chancel wall. East chancel window of 3-lights with rose tracery. South
porch has diagonal buttresses and pointed arch.
Interior: North aisle has C17, 3 bay, segmented pointed arcade on piers with
4 attached shafts separated by a continuous hollow chamfer. The chancel arch
and arch from south chapel to nave are of a similar form. The C19,2 bay
south arcade has pointed arches and pier with 4 attached shafts. The tower
arch is pointed of 3 straight chamfered orders the outermost of which is continuous
and inner two of which die into flat jambs Roofs to nave and north and south
aisles are C19 ribbed barrel vaults of semi-circular profile. Those to the nave
and south aisle have carved bosses and the nave roof has carved angles at the
springing point of the ribs. The south chapel has a 3-bay arch-braced collar
beam roof with carved bosses. The chancel has a 2-bay, arch braced collar
beam roof with king post and struts. There are carved bosses and the
wall plate bears paterae. The principals spring from C19 foliage carved corbels.
North aisle partitioned with C17 screen to form Freke chapel. Screen has 2
levels of panelling over which is a range of colonnettes with open lattice
work. Above is an enriched entablature with carved heads surmounted by a
strapwork cresting. C19 piscina. C19 terracotta reredos to the design of Lady Baker.
Octagonal font, probably C12 but retoolled C17; C17, C18 and C19 monuments and
floor slabs notably that to Sir Thomas Freke and his wife Elizabeth, 1633. This
has open segmental pediment, sculptured pediment and carved putti, angels, doves
etc. Other fittings and furnishings largely Cl9. The church is an interesting
example of C17 Gothic work with affinities with the chapel at Higher Melcombe
House, also for Sir Thomas Freke. It is, however, stylistically unlike the
series of C17 north Dorset Churches including Folke, Ryme Intrinsica and
Leweston (RCHM Dorset, vol III, p 126/7, no 1 Newman and Pevsner N. The Buildings
of England: Dorset, Penguin 19?2j p 236/7).
Listing NGR: ST8598912424
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 103190
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Inventory of Dorset, (1970)
Pevsner, N, Newman, J, The Buildings of England: Dorset, (1972), 236-237
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 13:28:59.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.