Listed Building record MDO16983 - Parish Church of St Nicholas, Studland

A church of the late 11th century or mid 12th century on the site of and incorporating part of a Saxon church. The church had some additions in the 18th century and was restored in 1880-1.

Parish Church of St Nicholas, Studland with walls of rubble partly re-faced in ashlar was probably built shortly before the Conquest, with chancel, central tower, and nave. The nave was rebuilt in the late 11th century partly on the foundations of an earlier nave; these were uncovered during the restoration of 1880-1. In the mid 12th century the standing chancel and tower were partly re-faced and re-modelled new arches, windows and vaulting being insereted. Some rebuilding was done in the 18th century and a general restoration followered in 1880-1. The church is an interesting example of mid-12th century elaboration of a comparatively small and simple pre-Conquest church. <2> <3>

St Nicholas's Church, Studland is one of the most complete Norman churches. "Excavations have made it likely that nave, tower, and chancel initially were pre-Conquest but rebuilt soon after. The RCHM gives the nave as late 11th century, the tower and chancel as mid-12th century. The latter seems a little late…." <4>

Parish Church of St Nicholas. Fragments of C12th wall paintings and plain C12th tub-font. Grade I. <5>

The plain Romanesque tympanum at St Nicholas' Church has been dated to the first quarter of the C12th. Full description. <6>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1929 (Map). SWX1540.

(SZ 03648251) St Nicholas's Church (NAT)

<2> DOE (HRR), 1952, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Wareham and Purbeck Rural District 1952, p37 (Scheduling record). SWX3230.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 276-9 (Monograph). SDO149.

‘(1) The Parish Church of St. Nicholas (Plates 161–2) stands in the E. part of the village; the walls are of local rubble partly refaced in ashlar and the roofs are covered with stone slates. The church was built probably shortly before the Conquest, with chancel, central tower and nave. The Nave was rebuilt in the late 11th century, partly on the foundations of the earlier nave; these were uncovered during the restoration of 1880–81 (Dorset Procs. XII (1891), 164). In the mid 12th century the standing Chancel and Tower were partly refaced and remodelled, new arches, windows and vaulting being inserted, and the nave walls were given new chamfered plinths and base courses and corbel-tables. The South Porch was added probably in the 17th century. Some rebuilding took place in the 18th century; a general restoration followed in 1880–81; the nave roof was reconstructed in 1930–31, and the roof of the tower was renewed two years later.
The church is an interesting example of mid 12th-century elaboration of a comparatively small and simple pre-Conquest church. The building has a solid robustness of character which is impressive. …’

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 404 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> DOE (HRR), 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of Purbeck amendment 1984, 41 (Scheduling record). SWX3364.

<6> Alford, S, 1984, Romanesque Architectural Sculpture in Dorset: A Selective Catalogue and Commentary. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 13,20 (Article in serial). SWX3464.

<7> Lundgren, Karen and Thurlby, Malcolm, 2000, The Romanesque church of St Nicholas, Studland (Dorset). Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 121, 1-16 (Article in serial). SWX711.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24653 (Index). SDO14738.

Interior view of St Nicholas' Church, Studland, looking east. The reverse of this print gives the date of 1905, but photographer George Washington Wilson died in 1893.

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24654 (Index). SDO14738.

Interior view of St Nicholas' Church, Studland, looking east

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457684 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2025 3:03PM