The Parish Church of St. Mary, Cerne Abbas. 
Grid Reference: ST662012, 36659 101213, 50.8095 -2.4755.
(Lead author: PJB and all photos by PJB unless otherwise noted) 

The monastery of Cerne Abbey was founded in 987 and built on the Zig Zag Chalk beds of the north Dorset downland, so without good building stone immediately to hand. The Abbey church, of which nothing remains standing, was used also by the villagers whose lives were in most respects controlled by the Abbots until the dissolution in 1539.  Towards the end of the 13th century however, the now well-endowed Abbey constructed, a little to the East of today’s Abbey Street, a very modest flint-built village church of St. Mary for the villagers’ own separate use.

All the Tudor internal improvements were of Ham Hill stone from near Montacute in Somerset some 20 miles away.  The original stonewalling, replaced by the columned arcades, was re-cycled to build the outer aisle walls, as has been the custom.  This rebuilding also significantly increased the use of another stone closer to home - the white Ridgeway (Lower Purbeck) limestone or Cypris Freestone from the Dorset Ridgeway quarries.   The nearest of these quarries, at Poxwell, was owned by Cerne Abbey and a string of quarries have since worked this stone as far west as Portesham. 

The original north and south chancel walls of this 13th C. building remain in position as the oldest part of the present church structure.  Major expansion occurred in the mid 15th C. with addition of the contemporary arcades and north/south aisles that remain unchanged today and in effect doubled the interior floor space of that time. This was notably achieved by also replacing the original chancel west wall archway with an open pierced rood screen.

Early in the 16th C. the nave and aisles were extended to the Abbey Street pavement with addition of the West Tower and which until quite recently, were abutted by trader’s buildings, including a shoemaker’s business, opening onto the street.   This monastery roadway first served the locked and monitored South Gate to the Abbey.  For over 1,100 years since, it has seen the Abbey tradesmen’s homes; the farmer’s wholesale centre and village market place alternately thrive and decline.  Fresh running Abbey lake water, considered much safer than from the river, has flowed down the eastern kerbside through a now mixed Purbeck stone open channel.  Ignorance of or a realisation of health consequences led to the 19th C. village name for it as: ‘Blood & Guts Lane’.

The exterior stone use at St. Mary

The Abbey lake freshwater channel – a mix of Purbeck limestones.

Parish church of St. Mary. Note: 1. Vertical masonry ‘add-on’ and 2. Cement render.

The main or south entrance porch of about 1540 - twice rebuilt ‘as it was’ and externally using the same two stones with multiple flint courses. The porch floor is made of Middle Purbeck limestone with the very evident patterned facies of fossil bivalve shell.

Early in the 1500’s both the north and south aisles together with the new west bell tower were extended to pathway. Massive white Cypris Freestone facings stand out below the three tier Ham Hill stone built and similarly much decorated tower.

South aisle flint & dressed Ham Stone coursework unusually banded with the latter decreasing in height. Occasional Ridgeway White Purbeck ashlar blocks at window sill level. Note the vertical south aisle extension left of the pipework and to the right the Ham Stone gargoyle - a vestry fireplace smoke vent.

Cypris Freestone is so called because it commonly contains numerous ostracods with the species forename Cypris. It is also known as White Ridgeway Purbeck for its bright exfoliated/weathering. Calm water micritic deposits tend to suffer alternate weathering of the softest bedding and even these solid and massive west tower blocks show it well.

The exterior stone use at St. Mary, from the free entrance to Squibb Garden adjoining the church's north aisle.

Please start here.

Just as on the south aisle walls we find a vertical jointing of masonry that starts a new pattern of building. Not only is no attempt made to integrate the courses of stone but a new pattern is adopted to suit the available size of stone chosen for use. Even when extended at the same time of the extension, the pattern of use is never the same both sides of this church and it is also changed at every extension. Interestingly, exterior cement rendering is seen facing the sun to the South and where expansion/contraction may be the degrading culprit?

Again, still immaculate mid- 16th century Ham Stone quoins on the right and at last the original north wall of the first St. Mary church built of flint by monks for the village.

Almost all but for those in the bell tower, the largest and most substantial blocks of wall stone have been removed from their original usage and recycled into new architecture on the south side of the church that faces the village centre. Smaller pieces of stone and more flint has increasingly been used over time on the north- facing walls.

The interrupted coursing and patch-work of repairs in the eastern north aisle is so ancient that it is almost hidden to view but the most massive blocks remain intact below the string line. All of this 15th century aisle wall and the 2nd level arcaded nave wall above it are remarkably solid after 500 years facing north. If not for the hardness of Ham Stone and flint, the porosity and strength of lime mortar and repeated restorations it could never remain much as it was built.

In 1639 a recycled window probably once in the Abbey, was inserted into the original east wall of St. Mary - so the wall was re-built but the ashlar Cypris Freestone facing, seen here, may well be a much later repair?

The photograph (left) shows the 16th century castellated south aisle stretching down to the main entrance porch has more good tool faced Cypris Freestone than Ham Stone but the windows and doorframe, of the same  date, are of the latter.  So strong and long lasting is Ham Hill stone that has long been and still is widely used for furnishings of polite stone and brick built properties.

The Interior stone use at St. Mary

A brighter day- lit village church, seating 400 parishioners in 1929 must be rare. Given that the attractive building stone structures are all of Ham Hill stone and that the rendering is all evenly -coloured in a contemporary lime wash, this stone can be seen unusually well up close. The 15th. century pierced rood screen replaced the chantry's arched wall and in the 19th century a new arch was created above new castellations added to the screen.

The Interior west tower stone has been laid as rubble around the doorways and window but was increasingly coursed as the structure progressed. Keeping the whitewash fresh and clean shows off the restrained Perpendicular style and the very Ham Stone itself.

Behind the pulpit is seen the well-known cross-bedding so recognisable in Ham Hill stone. The new 19th century Chantry piers support the new arch and modified screen. Note the darker, rising damp affected (?) possibly 13th/14th century original chantry pier base.

The font stem and base are later but the once lime-washed bowl dates from the 15th century. Clearly the people of Cerne take their Ham Stone to heart and won’t have it hidden from view. As an historic monument a full cleaning is probably an offence in law.

Decorative stone memorial plaques do not overwhelm the walls and the floors are sparingly used for gravestones. Very usual in medieval churches, the one below the Chantry screen is of Purbeck Marble, The middle one is of Belgian black polished limestone and nearest the camera is a sparitic Middle Purbeck slab with no porosity and a distinctly decorative fossil shell facies. (The Thornback bed?) See Porch floor for others with decorative fossil-filled facies but most of the St. Mary flooring is of more bland and commercial Purbeck flagstone.

More most skilfully used cross bedding, the 1639 re-cycled late 15th century window and sculpted Ham Stone below the sill.