Church of St Nicholas, Child Okeford, Grade 2*. NGR: ST 83553 12750 Lead author: PS
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The village of Child Okeford (original 1236 name Chilockford) sits to the west of Hambledon Hill in north Dorset (1). The parish church sits in an elevated position near the centre of the village. The west tower is late of 15th or early 16th century construction. The main body of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century (1850 and 1878-79).
The building stones used in the church (2) are typical of the area being largely Shaftesbury Sandstone from the Upper Greensand with Corallian limestone quoins and dressings. The church has a tiled roof and stands on a plinth of Shaftesbury sandstone. |
1. Child Okeford from Hambledon Hill
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2. The church from the south east
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3. The west tower
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The exterior
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The tower is built with ashlar Shaftesbury sandstone and has a west doorway of the same date and building stone (3). The west window (4) is a mix of three stones. The sides are Shaftesbury Sandstone, the arch stones are Corallian limestone and the recently restored mullions and tracery are of Ham Hill Stone (4).
The walls of the south aisle were rebuilt in 1850 of coursed knapped flint with occasional Corallian limestone cobbles and a chequered pattern of Shaftesbury Sandstone blocks (6, 7). There is a line of Shaftesbury Sandstone beneath the roof line. The quoins and buttresses are Corallian limestone. The windows are Shaftesbury sandstone. The exception is the window in the west wall of the south aisle, inserted in 1878 to provide light for a vestry. This is Corallian limestone (8). Flint cobbles were used to repair the wall below the window. |
4. The west window
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6.The south wall
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7. Detail of the south aisle wall
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8. Window in the west wall of the south aisle
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The south porch (9), added in 1878, is mainly flint with a doorway and side windows of Corallian limestone. The diagonal buttresses are also Corallian limestone with an infill of knapped flint. There is a carving above the doorway depicting the legend of St. Nicholas (10). He was bishop of Myra now in Turkey in the 4th century.
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9. The south aisle and porch
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10. The carving above the porch
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According to the legend, a man could not afford dowries for his 3 daughters which in those days meant that the girls would become prostitutes. St. Nicholas is said to have thrown three bags of gold through their window so that they would not live a life of shame. He is also the patron saint of sailors hence the boats. The stone used for the carving was not determined but could be Caen limestone from France.
The east and north wall of the chancel and the walls of the north aisle were completely rebuilt in 1878. The chancel east wall (11) is knapped flint decorated with two single courses of Shaftesbury Sandstone above the string course and a line of Shaftesbury sandstone immediately below the string course. The buttresses and large window are Corallian limestone. The north aisle wall (12) is entirely of flint with a line of Shaftesbury sandstone beneath the string course. The windows are Corallian limestone.
The east and north wall of the chancel and the walls of the north aisle were completely rebuilt in 1878. The chancel east wall (11) is knapped flint decorated with two single courses of Shaftesbury Sandstone above the string course and a line of Shaftesbury sandstone immediately below the string course. The buttresses and large window are Corallian limestone. The north aisle wall (12) is entirely of flint with a line of Shaftesbury sandstone beneath the string course. The windows are Corallian limestone.
11. The east wall
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12. The north wall
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The Interior
The church was not open to visitors due to Corona virus restrictions on entry to the building.
Of additional interest is the wall of a now demolished barn at the eastern end of the church car park. This has a variety of rubble stone (flint, Todber Freestone, Corallian Cucklington Oolite, Forest Marble, Heathstone and others not identified).
References
1. Hill M., Newman J., Pevsner N. (2018), The Buildings of England Dorset, Yale U. Press, p.209
2. Pitfield F.P. (1981), Dorset Parish Churches A-D, Dorset Pub. Co., p. 188.
3. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol4/p.79.
Of additional interest is the wall of a now demolished barn at the eastern end of the church car park. This has a variety of rubble stone (flint, Todber Freestone, Corallian Cucklington Oolite, Forest Marble, Heathstone and others not identified).
References
1. Hill M., Newman J., Pevsner N. (2018), The Buildings of England Dorset, Yale U. Press, p.209
2. Pitfield F.P. (1981), Dorset Parish Churches A-D, Dorset Pub. Co., p. 188.
3. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol4/p.79.
