St. Mary and St. Bartholomew, Cranborne (Lead author: JT)

The Parish Church of St. Mary & St. Bartholomew was built in the 12th century on the site of a 10th century monastery, but the present church is 14th and 15th century, with a 19th century chancel & vestry.

Entering the churchyard from the east gate, the chancel built after 1850 (1875 date on the vestry) is faced in whole Flints of matching roundness and with the white ‘skin’ retained. The windows are Bath Stone. 

The 14th century north aisle has walls of rough flint with some Chilmark Main Building Stone and some Heathstone.  The east window is Chilmark Main Building Stone, and the western one has some Heathstone.

The eastern part of the north aisle is built of Flint, Heathstone and Chilmark Main Building Stone. 
The porch was rebuilt after 1850, its outer arch and pillars being of Bath Stone, Upper Greensand and
Chilmark Oolite.  The walls are a mixture of Flint and Heathstone.

The south aisle continues to use the same mixture of stone, though there is the occasional piece of conglomerate that comes from Edmondsham (Paleocene).

The 15th century west tower of five stages has ashlar of Heathstone and the Chilmark Main Building Stone (MBS) at the base.
The next stage is Flint, Chilmark MBS and some Upper Greensand.
 Above this the Flint increases in each stage

The inner entrance arch is 12th century Chilmark Oolite, (moved when the north aisle was widened in the 14th century). 

Tower south side - a greater proportion of Upper Greensand with Heathstone and Chilmark Main Building Stone.

In the interior the nave and aisles are Early English 14th century design. There are five composite columns with massive Purbeck Marble shafts outlined with four rounded columns of Chilmark Oolite.  On the south there are three, the first, third and fifth, on the north the first and fifth only, as the central composite column was replaced in the 19th century. This last has been built to match the second and fourth on each side, that are octagonal, and also Chilmark Oolite.  Purbeck Marble was also used for a tomb.

Purbeck Marble tomb. Photo: WGT. Text and other photographs by JT, March 2017.