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)
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.