The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Batcombe. Grid Reference ST61830384. Lead author: SMA
“Batcombe is a very small village hidden under the northern slope of the Dorset Downs. The church consists of a nave and chancel with a 15th century tower. Much of the church was rebuilt by John Hicks in 1864, which resulted in the loss of the Minterne chapel - the memorial tablets being re-positioned on the north side of the tower. The interior contains an elaborate stone screen of Ham Hill stone and an interesting font consisting of a Norman column of Ham Hill Stone topped with a cuboid limestone basin (probably Portesham stone) which is probably earlier in date. Ref: Batcombe (St. Mary Magdalene), Dorset (dorset-churches.org.uk)
The church is the subject of one of Dorset's more curious tales. It is said that at one time, the local squire, who was known as 'Conjuring Minterne', rode his horse off Batcombe Hill and knocked off one of the pinnacles on the tower. It is said that Minterne vowed that he would be buried neither in nor out of the church, so he was buried half inside and half outside of the Minterne Chapel”
Ref: Batcombe | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk)
Ref: Batcombe | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk)
1. The approach to the church
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02. Batcombe tower showing different stages of construction.
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The church has Lower Jurassic (Toarcian, Upper Lias) Ham Hill Stone from Somerset in the quoins, buttresses, windows, tracery and crenulations. The west wall of the tower is Ham Hill Stone and other parts of the tower are Jurassic Forest Marble shelly limestone extracted from local quarries. The roof is tiled.
3. South-facing wall with Forest Marble and Ham Hill Stone heavily encrusted with grey lichen.
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4. South side of Batcombe church with Ham Hill Stone windows and Forest Marble walls. Note the newer construction of the Chancel with layered stones.
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5. The north side of Batcombe Church, which includes Cretaceous Flint, Ham Hill Stone and Forest Marble courses.
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6. Half Grave( see text) of Ham Hill Stone . Note the banded north walls that include Flints, Forest Marble and Ham Hill Stone.
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7. The font. Whitewashed, but described in the church leaflet as Norman with a Ham Hill Stone base and earlier Portesham (Portland) Stone bowl. Note the Ham Hill Stone columns and flag stones.
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8. Loupe of font bowl indicating Jurassic Portland Stone.
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9. Loupe of Forest Marble from the exterior walling.
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10. The piscina. Part of the repaired stone bowl is oolitic (note loupe photo 14 ) The remainder is Ham Hill Stone.
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11. Blue Lias altar step.
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12. Interior showing the rood screen of Ham Hill Stone and flagstones. Image: PS
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13. Eastern elevation of the church showing tomb chest grave of Ham Hill Stone.
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14. Loupe of repair in bowl of piscina.
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15. Saxon stone sculpture in the south wall (cited in The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Sculpture, Vol . 7 p 97)
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