Listing Text

MELBURY BUBB
MELBURY BUBB
ST 50 NE
VILLAGE
Parish Church
2/73
of St Mary
31.7.61
I
GV
Parish Church. South Tower, later C15. Nave and chancel C15, rebuilt in 1854,
probably by Withers of Sherborne. Rubble-stone walls, with ashlar stone
dressings. Slate roofs, with stone gable-copings. South tower, of four stages,
with ground stage as porch entrance to church. Diagonal buttresses. Doorway
in the south hall has jambs and pointed-arch head of two chamfered orders.
Second stage, east wall: window of one trefoiled light. String-course. Third
stage has in middle of each face a standard set diagonally, resting on half-
angels holding shields. Above this, a frieze of quatrefoils enclosing paterae,
shields, the initials B. and W. B. on the south face, for Walter Bokeler,
rector, c.1470-80. Bell-chamber has in each wall a window of two trefoiled
lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head, stone tracery to the louvres.
Embattled parapet, with a small pinnacle to each central merlon. The stair
turret is an addition of later date than the remainder of the tower. Chancel,
rebuilt in C19, of 2 bays with diagonal buttresses. Side windows are of 2 lights,
cinquefoil-cusped with cusped panel tracery over, casement-moulded reveals.
Moulded label with head-stops. Priest's door to chancel, with moulded jambs
and pointed-arch head. Plank door. East window: C15 reset. 3-light with
ogee trefoil cusping. Two main panels over, with falchions. Small C19 niche
in gable-head. Nave, 3 bays, C19 rebuild. The south-east window is of 3 lights
and retains parts of old tracery; the second window on the north has an C15
head of 3 trefoiled lights with panel tracery; the western pair of windows have
C15 heads of 3 cinquefoiled ogee lights with panel tracery. West window has
Y-tracery and panel-tracery head. Blocked doorway beneath, with moulded jambs
and pointed head, C19 label. Interior: Nave, roof has high collar, waggon-
braced, short king-post and longitudinal plate. Fleuron bosses at the
intersections. Chancel, roof of mansard profile, compartmented and bossed at
the intersections, C19. Chancel-arch, with moulded jambs continuous into
pointed arch stepped and pyramid stops, C19. Fittings: Font, cylindrical
tapering stone bowl, reversed, formerly base of a shaft, carved with continuous
design of beasts: stag, horse, wolf, and ? lion, and lesser beasts, and
interlacement, C10. Stained glass: late C15. East window, shields of arms
of Wane and Mattravers,symbols of the 4 evangelists, crowns, inscription. N window,
centre, Annunciation with figures of Virgin and St Gabriel. N.W. window, small
head of Christ and panels of Wise and Foolish Virgins, with inscriptions. Main
lights, figure of Christ with 5 wounds originally carried as rays to 7 sacraments'
panels. Ordination survives. W. window tracery, C15 glass.
(RCHM Dorset I, p.158(1))

Listing NGR: ST5959406550