Listed Building record MDO4512 - Parish church of St Andrew, Okeford Fitzpaine

Parish church; west tower partially 14th century; rest of tower and parts of nave and aisles 15th century; Chancel, vestry and extensive general restoration 1865. 1865 work by J Hicks. Coursed rubble, squared coursed rubble and ashlar. Gable ended tile roof with stone copings. Partially in the 'perpendicular' and partially in the 'decorated' style.

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW stands on a knoll in the S.E. quarter of the village and has walls of Greensand and Marnhull limestone, both materials occurring as rubble, squared rubble and ashlar. The roofs are covered with modern tiles. The Chancel was rebuilt in 1772 and again in 1865; the Nave and Aisles are largely of 1865, but they retain elements of a 15th-century structure. The West Tower is of the mid 15th-century, but it incorporates, in the ground stage, a 14th-century tower arch and a W. window of the same date; for some
unknown reason the tower was specially designed to accommodate these features.

The church is of interest for the unusual tower arch. The pulpit is an elaborate work of the 15th century, but much restored.<2>

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 79 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1962 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 80731080) St. Andrew's Church (NAT)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 200-2 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(1) THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW stands on a knoll in the S.E. quarter of the village and has walls of Greensand and Marnhull limestone, both materials occurring as rubble, squared rubble and ashlar. The roofs are covered with modern tiles. The Chancel was rebuilt in 1772 and again in 1865; the Nave and Aisles are largely of 1865, but they retain elements of a 15th-century structure. The West Tower is of the mid 15th century, but it incorporates, in the ground stage, a 14th-century tower arch and a W. window of the same date; for some unknown reason the tower was specially designed to accommodate these features.
The church is of interest for the unusual tower arch. The pulpit is an elaborate work of the 15th century, but much restored.
Architectural Description—The chancel, N. vestry and chancel arch are entirely of 1865. In the Nave (50 ft. by 21 ft.), the fourbay N. arcade is 19th-century work in the style of the late 15th or early 16th century. The four-centred arches are of three orders; the inner and outer orders are ogee-moulded and the intermediate order is a wide hollow chamfer; the latter is continuous on the piers and the former rise from attached shafts with moulded capitals and polygonal bases. In the E. and W. responds the shafting ceases 1½ ft. below the springing, and below that level are vertical wave-mouldings with rounded base stops and moulded and chamfered cappings; in the W. respond these mouldings include 15th-century material but the whole of the E. respond is of the 19th century. To the W. of the W. respond the N. wall is of old material, rebuilt, with a 19th-century two-light window. The S. arcade is uniform with that to the N.; the wave-moulded E. respond is partly of mediaeval material and it includes a small moulded bracket on the N. face; in the W. respond the mouldings of the arcade are continuous. The North Aisle (41½ ft. by 11 ft.) has been extensively restored, but with the re-use of old material. In the E. wall is a three-light window of uncertain date, now blocked. The lower part of the N. wall, with one diagonal and two square-set weathered buttresses, is of the 15th century; above are two casement-moulded four-centred windows, each of three ogee-headed lights with cinquefoil cusping and vertical tracery; these windows are of 15th-century origin but heavily restored. The N. doorway is also of the 15th century but restored; it has a two-centred head with two wave-moulded orders and continuous jambs; the moulded label has square stops. The W. wall of the N. aisle is largely of 1865 but the square-set buttress appears to be mediaeval. The South Aisle (41½ ft. by 11 ft.) is largely of 1865 but the original foundations are probably reused and the walls include old material; the lower part of the E. wall, with two chamfered plinths, is of the 15th century. In the S. wall, the two-stage ashlar buttress at the E. end is of the 15th century but partly rebuilt; the other buttresses include much original material, particularly on the S. face. The eastern and central windows of the S. wall are uniform with those of the N. aisle and include some reused mediaeval material. A stone reset over the eastern window head has a lion mask in relief, flanked by initials and possibly a date, now indecipherable. The western bay has an original doorway with a moulded two-centred head, continuous jambs and a moulded label with 19th-century stops; over it is reset a small 15th-century square-headed window of two cinquefoil-headed lights with blind spandrels.
The West Tower is of Greensand ashlar. Between the plinth and the embattled parapet are two main stages, separated by a hollow-chamfered string-course. The N.W. and S.W. corners have diagonal buttresses of six stages with weathered offsets; above the nave roof the N.E. and S.E. corners have corresponding buttresses of three stages; that to the S.E. is incorporated in the vice turret, which is square in plan and roofed with weathered ashlar. The modern papapet rises above a hollow-chamfered string-course; until recently a small crocketed pinnacle decorated the central merlon on each side. Projecting from the N. and S. sides of the tower in the eastern part of the lower stage are rectangular bays which continue the line of the nave walls. The heavily moulded tower plinth continues around these bays and they have single-stage square-set and diagonal buttresses in correspondence with the lowest stage of the tower buttresses. The N. bay is roofed with weathered ashlar a little below the level of the nave roof; the vice turret rises above the southern bay. Internally, the tower arch is flanked by narrow side arches, the three arches being carried on two octagonal columns with moulded caps and bases, probably of the 14th century (Plate 180). The three arches are two-centred and of two chamfered orders on the E. face, with a third chamfered member forming a continuous label. Another narrow arch runs W. from each column and terminates on a moulded impost with a capital and a polygonal attached shaft below. The S. column is now joined to the adjacent wall by masonry which underpins the vice turret, and the vice doorway occupies the upper half of the S. arch. Immediately behind the tower arch is the deep splayed recess of the W. window, with a tapering pointed barrel-vault. The W. window, of the 14th century and perhaps reset, has three ogee-headed lights with trefoil cusping, and curvilinear tracery above. It is set some 2 ft. behind the W. face of the tower, and the masonry above it is carried on a two-centred arch, resembling a rear arch, but external (Plate 181). Near the top of the lower stage the N. and S. walls of the tower have rectangular loop lights to the ringing chamber. In the top stage the N., E. and W. sides have each a small square-headed belfry window of two two-centred trefoil-headed lights with a central quatrefoil above, under a two-centred head with blind spandrels.
Fittings—Bells: six; 1st. modern, others by T. Mears, 1820. Benefactors' Table: In vestry, on W. wall, stone tablet of 1844 recording charity of Thomas White, Robert Watts, Richard Raynold and Edith White, 1706, and further transactions of 1844 (set out in Hutchins IV, 335) Chest: In vestry, of oak with scrolled corner feet and moulded lid and base, late 18th century. Communion Table: In N. aisle, at E. end, oak communion table with cabriole legs, foliate enrichment and carved front rail (Plate 45); 18th century. Glass: In N. aisle, in N. window of E. bay, fragments of 15th and 16th-century glass including black-letter inscription' . . . lac plague wi . . .', two initials 'R', monogram 'IH', fleurs-de-lis, part of a shield checky sable and argent, part of a dome.
Monuments and Floor-slab. Monuments: In S. aisle, on S. wall; (1) of Mary Sarah (Avarne) Hunter, 1839, pedimented white marble tablet by Marshall of Blandford; (2) of Rev. Duke Butler, 1779, his wife Mary (Freke), 1786, his brother, and his infant son, wall-monument of grey and white marbles with shaped apron with arms of Butler impaling Freke, elliptical-headed inscription panel, drapery, rosettes, Doric entablature, cherub's head and urn finial; (3) of Rev. Robert Hunter, 1815, and his wife Marion (Anderson), 1848, white marble tablet with scallop finial. In churchyard, ten paces N. of porch, (4) 17th-century table-tomb with moulded plinth and top, moulded side panels, and end panels with skull and crossbones, drapery and defaced shields, with secondary inscription of Joseph Mitchell, 1849. Floor-slab: Centrally at E. end of nave, of Thomas Phillips, 1651, his wife Susanna, 1677, and their son Joseph, 1681, Purbeck marble slab with incised surround of columns, arch and foliage.
Niches: In N. aisle, reset in E. wall; two niche canopies, one with concave rib-vaulted soffit, two cusped arches meeting at bird or seraph pendant, pinnacled centre and side standards, and cusped gables with crocketed finials; the other with convex fan-ribbed soffit, two cusped arches meeting at angel pendant, and gables and standards as before. Plate: includes silver cup and cover-paten by Lawrence Stratford with engraved band of foliate strapwork, cover-paten inscribed '1574'; silver paten with hallmarks of 1704, inscribed 'The gift of Jane ye wife of John Freke Rector of this Parish of Ockford Fitzpain to be used only in ye Sacrament of ye Lords Supper. Decbr 25th Ano. Dom. 1704'; silver flagon 11½ ins. high with hallmarks of 1683, arms of Baker and inscription 'The Gift of Mrs. Joan Baker of Hamwood in the Parish of Trull in the County of Somerset Virgin to the Parishioners of the Parish of Ockford Fitzpain in the County of Dorset, to be by them us'd in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: in Memory of Her Forever. Ano. Dni. 1684' (according to Hutchins, IV, 332, this is inscribed on a cup 13 ins. high). Pulpit: of stone, with nine sides, each with a trefoil ogee-headed niche flanked by pinnacled standards, all with crocketed finials, 15th century (Plate 46); embattled and moulded cornice, embattled and foliate base with arcaded pedestal, stairs and figures in niches, all 19th century. During the 18th century the original part was used as a font. Seating: In N. aisle, eleven late 17th-century oak pews with panelled backs in two heights, with moulded stiles and rails, and roll-moulded top rails; all pews except two to E. with reeded bench-ends, the others plain; in two pews to W., top rails and stiles with chip-carving. Sundial: On S.W. buttress of tower, rectangular stone dial with arabic numerals and date 1671; iron gnomon with shaped edge. Miscellanea: In S. aisle, (1) five oak panels carved with cusped quatrefoils enclosing foliate centres, fields painted black and red, 15th century, probably from former rood-loft (Hutchins IV, 331). In N. aisle, near doorway, (2) remains of late 15th-century Purbeck marble font, octagonal, with trefoil-headed panels; (3) two corbels, one carved to represent head and shoulders of angel bearing scroll with embossed black-letter inscription; the other a seraph. Reset in churchyard wall, (4) several mediaeval fragments, including chamfered two-centred loop-head; convex stone panel with beaded margins; stone block with cable and chevron carving; cable-moulded shaft with nail-head and plain fillets.’

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 306-7 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> A history of the parish church of St. Andrew, Okeford Fitzpaine (Monograph). SDO18192.

<5> Zochowski, A, 2018, St Andrews, Okeford Fitzpaine, Blandford Forum, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO16400.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206279 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:11PM