Description

TURNWORTH
ST 80 NW MAIN STREET (West side)

4/89 Church of St Mary
14-7-55
GV II*

Church, C15 west tower, remainder 1869 by G R Crickmay after J Hicks with
some input by Thomas Hardy. Banded flint and rubble with tiled roof having
stone copings. Plan: west tower; nave; chancel; north aisle and organ chamber,
south porch. 2 stage west tower with octagonal north vice, diagonal buttresses
and plain parapet with string bearing gargoyles. To the west is a 4-centred
opening into which a C19 window has been inserted. Above is a 3-light C19
window with pointed head, Perpendicular tracery and a label with head-stops.
The belfry windows are of 2 lights with pointed heads and returned labels.
The main body of the church is windowed with chamfered lancets. The east
chancel window is of 3 graduated, trefoiled lancets. The chancel has a pointed,
chamfered south doorway. The porch has a pointed arch of 2 chamfered orders
with a label terminating in headstops.

Interior: 3 bay arcade with pointed arches having flat soffits and keel mouldings
to the arrises. The arcade is on round piers with moulded bases and carved
capitals in the early French gothic style, said to have been designed by Thomas
Hardy the author. The chancel to organ chamber arch is of a similar pattern.
The chancel arch is again similar but with roll mouldings and springing from
carved angel respond corbels. Restored C15, moulded, pointed tower arch with
continuous outer chamfer and inner mouldings terminating in C19 carved respond
corbels. Chamfered, 4-centred vice doorway. East chancel window has shafted
rear-arch. Scissor-braced nave roof springing from oversized head corbels.
Boarded waggon roof to chancel. Collar-truss roof to aisle. C19 shafted wooden
pulpit. Elaborate c19 font with carved stone biblical scenes. Various c19 and
C20 monuments, some reset including tablet with sarcophagus and weeper to Mark
Davis, died 1832, by Simmonds of Blandford. c19 encaustic tiles; c19 and C20
glass. (RCHM, Dorset, vol.III, p.290 no.1. Newman, J and Pevsner, N., The
Buildings of England: Dorset, 1972, p.430/1.) )

Listing NGR: ST8211707490

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17539169

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)