Church of St. Andrew, Burstock. Grade II*, NGR: ST 42226 02914 Lead author: PS
Burstock is a small village about 4 miles from Broad Windsor and about 6 miles south of Crewkerne. The parish has always been a rural community and its population has roughly halved since the 19th century. In its early days the church was associated with Ford Abbey, the Cistercian monastery at Thorncombe. In 1316 the Abbot became the first Lord of the Manor. This association continued until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in the 16th century when the monastery estates were surrendered to the crown.
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Some parts of the walls, particularly the nave, are thought to be from the original 13th century (1280) church but this has not been confirmed. The present church (1) dates from the 15th century and the tower, parts of the nave and north chapel have survived. The chancel (1847), south porch (1877) and parts of the nave (1877) were completely rebuilt in the 19th century. An early 19th century oil painting in the church shows the tower with square pyramid shaped roof. A parapet was added in 1877.
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1. The church from the south-east
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Two main building stones have been used in the walls - the locally quarried mid Jurassic Inferior Oolite and Ham Hill Stone from Somerset. The roofing material is mainly slates except the north side of the nave between the tower and north chapel, which is the only part of the building to be roofed with graduated slabs of Ham Hill Stone. The windows throughout the building are Ham Hill Stone. There are also some blocks of Portland limestone mainly on the tower and the nave south wall.
The tower
All three stages of the west front (2) are faced with ashlar Ham Hill Stone but there are some blocks of Portland Stone in the wall either side the west door (3). They match in appearance those seen in the south wall of the nave. The buttresses to the first and second stages are Ham Hill Stone. The steps up to the west door are Lower Jurassic Blue Lias. The steps continue inside the tower up to the level of the nave floor.
All three stages of the west front (2) are faced with ashlar Ham Hill Stone but there are some blocks of Portland Stone in the wall either side the west door (3). They match in appearance those seen in the south wall of the nave. The buttresses to the first and second stages are Ham Hill Stone. The steps up to the west door are Lower Jurassic Blue Lias. The steps continue inside the tower up to the level of the nave floor.
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The south wall (4) has a base level of Portland limestone some much weathered (5, 6). The rest of the first stage and the second stage are made up of ashlar Ham Hill Stone including the buttresses.
4. The tower, south wall
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5. The limestone at the base of the south wall of the tower
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There is a Portland limestone lintel over a small 19th century window in the second stage (7) and a single block of Portland limestone on the lower east side adjacent to the top of the buttress.
6. Loupe of the limestone in the south wall
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7. Portland lintel
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The north wall at all levels is made up of coursed blocks of Inferior Oolite. The buttress is Portland limestone and Ham Hill Stone (8). The east wall above the nave roof is also Inferior Oolite. The walls of the third stage of the tower, on all but the west face, are Inferior Oolite and the quoins are Portland limestone (9, 10).
8. Buttress at the north-east corner of the tower
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9. The 3rd stage of the east wall of the tower
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10. The tower south wall of the third stage
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The nave and chancel
At some stage the roof of the nave was lowered. The outline of the old roof is visible on the east wall of the tower (11).
The north wall of the nave between the tower and the north chapel is mainly Inferior Oolite with some Ham Hill Stone and occasional un-knapped Flint (12). The foundation levels which are a continuation of those of the north wall of the tower are Inferior Oolite and weathered Portland limestone.
At some stage the roof of the nave was lowered. The outline of the old roof is visible on the east wall of the tower (11).
The north wall of the nave between the tower and the north chapel is mainly Inferior Oolite with some Ham Hill Stone and occasional un-knapped Flint (12). The foundation levels which are a continuation of those of the north wall of the tower are Inferior Oolite and weathered Portland limestone.
11. The top of the tower
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12. The north wall of the nave between the tower and north chapel
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The north wall of the nave to the east of the north chapel and all the chancel walls are ashlar Ham Hill Stone (13, 14). The south wall of the nave has ashlar Portland limestone to window height on a base of more weathered Portland limestone and Ham Hill stone above (15).
13. The north wall of the nave and chancel
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14. The chancel wall, south side
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15. The south wall of the nave
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The north chapel
The base levels of the north chapel are un-knapped flint and Inferior Oolite rubble. The west and north walls are Inferior Oolite. There was once a string course of Ham Hill Stone but only about 1 metre remains adjacent to the nave wall. Part of the east wall has been filled with rubble much of it flint, possibly where a window has been filled in (16).
The south porch
This is mainly Ham Hill Stone but there is some rubble Portland limestone at ground level on the east side (17). The roof is part slate with lower levels of Ham Hill Stone flags). The inner doorway is Inferior Oolite and dated possibly to the 13th century (18).
The base levels of the north chapel are un-knapped flint and Inferior Oolite rubble. The west and north walls are Inferior Oolite. There was once a string course of Ham Hill Stone but only about 1 metre remains adjacent to the nave wall. Part of the east wall has been filled with rubble much of it flint, possibly where a window has been filled in (16).
The south porch
This is mainly Ham Hill Stone but there is some rubble Portland limestone at ground level on the east side (17). The roof is part slate with lower levels of Ham Hill Stone flags). The inner doorway is Inferior Oolite and dated possibly to the 13th century (18).
16. The north chapel east wall
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17. The south porch
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18. The interior south doorway
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The interior (19)
The walls are plastered. The central aisle is paved with Victorian tiles. The chancel arch (20), the arch into the north chapel, and the tower arch are all Inferior Oolite and dated to the 15th century. The font is 12th century and is Portland limestone (21).
The walls are plastered. The central aisle is paved with Victorian tiles. The chancel arch (20), the arch into the north chapel, and the tower arch are all Inferior Oolite and dated to the 15th century. The font is 12th century and is Portland limestone (21).
19. The interior from the west end
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20 The chancel arch
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21. The font
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References
- Wilkinson M. & Bold D., (2014), The Dorset Walk - Drimpton & Burstock, Dorset Life p58-60
- Pitfield, F.P. (1981), Dorset Churches A-D, p. 136, Dorset Publishing Co.
- https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol3/pp56-57
- Hill M., Newman J., Pevsner N. (2018), The Buildings of England, Dorset, Yale U. Press, p.170
