Listed Building record MDO14466 - Parish Church of St Nicholas, Sandford Orcas

Parish Church. C14 chancel. Nave and south chapel rebuilt C15. West tower and south porch added C15. North aisle added 1871, when church restored. Caused rubble-stone walls. Stone slate roofs with stone gable-copings, and crosses at apices.

(ST 62242104) St Nicholas Church [NAT] (1)

Parish church of St Nicholas. The nave is of uncertain age but is probably the oldest part of the building. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century, and the south chapel in the mid-15th when the west tower and south porch were added. Restored in 1871 when the north aisle was added. (2-3)

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 80 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 194-5 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS stands to the N. of the village. The walls are of local coursed rubble with dressings of Ham Hill stone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The Nave is of uncertain age but is probably the earliest part of the existing building. The Chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century and in the middle of the 15th century the South Chapel was rebuilt and the West Tower and South Porch added. The church was restored in 1871 when the North Aisle was added.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (24¾ ft. by 14¼ ft.) has a 15th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label, head-stops and a 14th-century trefoiled rear-arch. In the N. wall are two early 14th-century windows, the eastern of two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head with a label and trefoiled rear-arch; the western window is of a single pointed light with a label. In the S. wall are two windows similar to the N.E. window but with plain rear-arches; the western has head-stops to the label; the early 14th-century doorway has chamfered jambs, two-centred arch and label. The much restored 15th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and moulded, the outer members continuous and the inner springing from attached shafts; both these and the outer members have moulded capitals carved with paterae and modern bases; S. of the arch is a squint.
The Nave (35¼ ft. by 17¼ ft.) has a modern N. arcade of three bays. In the S. wall is a 15th-century arch, two-centred and of one continuous chamfered order; further W. are a 15th-century doorway and window; the former has moulded jambs and two-centred head; the window is of two trefoiled lights with plain tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label and returned stops.
The South Chapel (12¼ ft. by 10¼ ft.) has a 15th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and label. In the S. wall is a window of the same date and of four cinque-foiled lights in a square head with moulded reveals. In the W. wall is a partly restored doorway with moulded jambs and two-centred head.
The West Tower (about 10 ft. square) is of the 15th century and of three storeys with an embattled parapet and gargoyles. The moulded tower-arch is two-centred and springs from moulded and shafted responds with moulded bases and capitals carved with paterae. The W. window is of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals; the W. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch in a square head with leaves in the spandrels and a label with one remaining head-stop. The second storey has, in the W. wall, a window of one trefoiled ogee light. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head with a label and head-stops.
The South Porch has a 15th-century outer archway, two-centred and moulded, and springing from moulded and shafted responds with moulded capitals and bases.
Fittings—Alms Box (Plate 35): In nave, attached to pew—of oak with enriched framing and carved figure subjects, dated 1700, foreign. Bells: five; 1st by Thomas Purdue, 1679, given by Francis Cheek; 2nd by W. Jefferies at Bristol, 1837; 3rd by R. P., 17th-century; 4th by William Bilbie at Chewstoke, 1788. Benefactor's Table: In N. aisle—on N. wall, with details of a charity of 1726, painted 1804. Brass: In S. chapel, under E. window, to John Hutchings, 1846, and his wife Elizabeth Clark Hutchings, 1845, with two shields-of-arms. Chair: In S. chapel—with turned legs, shaped arms, arcaded back and cresting, 17th-century. Churchyard Cross: S. of church, part of square to octagonal shaft on square to octagonal base, 15th-century. Communion Table: In tower—with turned legs and enriched top-rail, 17th-century. Desk: In N. aisle—made up with 17th-century panels enriched with guilloche ornament etc. Font (Plate 13): round bowl with rounded underside, bowl enriched with large continuous vertical flutings finished with a scalloped edge at the top, moulded necking, cylindrical stem and moulded base, early 13th-century. Cover: of oak with high turned central post supported by four scrolled brackets, 17th-century. Glass: In chancel— S. window, in memory of Jane, wife of Joseph Collier Cookworthy, 1840, figure subjects in the two main lights and tracery. In S. chapel—E. and S. windows, in memory of John Hutchings, 1846, and Elizabeth Clark Hutchings, 1845, figure subjects in the main lights and tracery, probably post-1850. Monuments: In S. chapel—on W. wall, (1) to William Knoyle, 1607–8, painted alabaster wall-monument (Plate 19) with kneeling figures of man in armour, two wives, four swaddled infants by first wife, three sons and four daughters by second wife, entablature and three shields-of-arms; (2) to John Hutchings, 1774, and Elizabeth (Medlicott), his wife, 1757, black and white marble wall-monument with Latin inscription. It has an eared and voluted architrave with cornice, broken pediment and urn, and is supported on a moulded shelf with apron and cartouche containing a painted achievement-of-arms, much faded. In tower—(3) to Johan Peitevir, early 14th-century, broken slab with inscription in Lombardic capitals. In churchyard—S. of chancel, (4) to Joane, wife of Bernard Gould, 1645, table-tomb; (5) to T.A., 1587, table-tomb; (6) name defaced, 1636, slab. Painting: In S. chapel—on E. wall, decayed painting of a shield with the arms of Knoyle impaling Fry, 16th-century. Piscinae: In chancel—recess with trefoiled head, shelf and round drain, 13th-century. In S. chapel—recess with trefoiled arch in square head, no drain, 15th-century. Plate: includes an Elizabethan cup and cover-paten, a stand-paten, 1722, given by Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt, and a flagon, 1727 (Plate 31). Screen (Plate 205): In tower-arch—of three bays including central doorway, with moulded and buttressed posts, side bays each with three open upper panels with cinque-foiled traceried heads and crockets, moulded rail and close lower panels with traceried heads, crockets and foliage, central bay with similar heads to open panels above door-head, the latter enriched with paterae, door of two leaves in four-centred head with traceried and carved spandrels, door-leaves each with three trefoil-headed open upper panels, carved rail and close lower panels similar to those of side bays of screen, 15th-century, base and cornice restored.’

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 358-9 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1979 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 62242104) St Nicholas Church [NAT]

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 762891 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:30PM