Listed Building record MDO9175 - St Martin's Church, Cheselbourne

Parish Church of St Martin. Nave and south aisle late thirteenth century. Chancel, early fourteenth century. West tower, mid fifteenth century and the chancel arch rebuilt at that time. North aisle and north porch added late fifteenth century. South porch built c1500. Restorations in 1874 and 1924. Flint walls with ashlar dressings and occasional bonding courses of squared rubble. Roofs of clay-tiles, stone-slates and lead.

GREENBACK List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Scheduling record). SDO19706.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1914, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xl (Serial). SDO23.

The last item on the day's programme was a visit to Chesilbourne and its church, where the party was met and welcomed by the Rector, the Rev. F. S. Belle. Mr. W. de C. Prideaux, in the course of his description of the church, said that the fabric was mainly built in the middle of the fourteenth century. He directed attention to the twin hagioscopes, a grotesque head carved on one of the capitals, and the scratch dial* over the south porch. Mr. Prideaux had made, and then exhibited, a successful rubbing of the grave slab of Richard Baskett and Ureth his wife, and he kindly gave to the members some photographic prints of the Kete brasses on the east wall of the north aisle. The Rector showed the Elizabethan chalice of 1574, and the parish register dating from 1649 ; the latter contained interesting entries as to collections for church briefs.
Mr. Alfred Pope then commented on the details of the preaching cross, which, like the church, was of fourteenth century work. The tapering shaft was square with moulded angles, and the steps of the Calvary were unusually deep. Mr. Pope also referred to the ancient dole table near the cross. The party subsequently adjourned to the Rectory garden, where Mrs. Beale had very kindly undertaken the task of providing tea.

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 74 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

Record last edited

Jul 28 2025 3:37PM