Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Broadwindsor. Grade 2*listed. ST 43777 02651
Lead author: PAS
The village of Broadwindsor is about 3 miles west of the town of Beaminster in West Dorset. Historically, Broadwindsor is an early Saxon settlement. The village is recorded in the Domesday book as the “manor of Windesore”.
The exterior
The church (1) is constructed of Inferior Oolite limestone obtained from local quarries. The south walls, the porch and the lower part of the tower are ashlar blocks; the remainder are coursed rubble; the quoins and buttresses are of Ham Hill Stone. The west tower (2) and a south porch were added in the 15th century.
The church (1) is constructed of Inferior Oolite limestone obtained from local quarries. The south walls, the porch and the lower part of the tower are ashlar blocks; the remainder are coursed rubble; the quoins and buttresses are of Ham Hill Stone. The west tower (2) and a south porch were added in the 15th century.
1. View from the east.
Much of the stone used in the church was probably quarried in the late 12th and early 13th century but was re-used in later restoration projects. Additional stone was required for the restoration and extension of the church in 1868 when the chancel and north aisle were re-built and the north vestry and south porch replaced (3). This was taken from a local quarry at Whetley Cross. The door and window dressings (4) are Ham Hill stone.
3. The south porch.
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2. The west tower.
4. Window dressings of Ham Hill Stone.
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The Interior
The nave has north and south arcades (5). As a result of mainly 19th century alterations two types of stone have been used in the pillars (6). In the south arcade, the three 12th century western-most pillars are Inferior Oolite stone but the fourth pillar is a 19th century replacements in Ham Hill Stone. In the north arcade, the two western-most pillars are also Inferior Oolite; the central pillar is Ham Hill stone but the eastern-most has both Ham Hill stone and some blocks of Inferior Oolite. Some fossils are visible in the inferior Oolite stone (7). All the arcade arches are Ham Hill Stone.
The nave has north and south arcades (5). As a result of mainly 19th century alterations two types of stone have been used in the pillars (6). In the south arcade, the three 12th century western-most pillars are Inferior Oolite stone but the fourth pillar is a 19th century replacements in Ham Hill Stone. In the north arcade, the two western-most pillars are also Inferior Oolite; the central pillar is Ham Hill stone but the eastern-most has both Ham Hill stone and some blocks of Inferior Oolite. Some fossils are visible in the inferior Oolite stone (7). All the arcade arches are Ham Hill Stone.
5. The nave
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6. Pillars in the nave.
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7. Brachiopod in pillar.
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The 19th century chancel arch (8) is Ham Hill Stone but is embellished with carved capitals in Bath Stone (9) and a dressing above the arch is also Bath Stone.
8. Chancel arch.
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9. Carvings on arch stops.
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The reredos (10) appears to be new, at least 20th century but is not mentioned in mid-20th century literature. By comparison with a known sample it has been shown to be probably made of Doulting Stone from Somerset (11).
10. The reredos.
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11. Loupes of stone from reredos and a Doulting Stone sample.
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The early 13th century font (12) is a square bowl of Purbeck Marble. The two stone slabs in the pedestal are different colours but close examination show them to be similar in composition and both Inferior Oolite.
Historical and architectural sources
1) Pitfield, F.P. (1981) Dorset Parish Churches A - D, pp. 119 – 110, Pub. Dorset Publishing Co. ISBN 0 902129600. 2) ‘Broadwindsor’, in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 1, accessed on line at British History Online: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol1/ pp. 52-56 PAS 2018-11-08 |
12. The font.
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