Church of the Holy Rood, Shillingstone. Grade: 1 NGR: ST 82472 11468 Lead author: PS
Shillingstone is situated 8 miles south of Shaftesbury on the A357 in the Blackmore Vale of North Dorset. It is a spring-line settlement at the junction of the Upper Greensand and the Gault. A quarry (ST 824 098) was opened in 1924 to extract lime from the chalk beds at Shillingstone Hill (1). The church (2) owes its Grade 1 status to its surviving 12th-century walls in the south wall of the nave and the walls of the chancel.
1. Shillingstone Quarry
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2. View of the church
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The late 15th century west tower (3) is built with ashlar Shaftesbury Sandstone. The west doorway is also Shaftesbury Sandstone but the window is a 15th century replacement using Corallian Limestone (4).
3. The west tower
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4. The west wall of the tower
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The south porch dates to the 16th century with extensive 19th century repairs. The quoins, doorway and small lancet windows on the sides are Shaftesbury Sandstone. The walls are a mixture of stone. The walls appear to have been laid originally in coursed knapped flint with strings of Corallian limestone as seen on the west and east sides (5). The south side has been repaired with Corallian limestone to the sides of the doorway and Shaftesbury Sandstone above the doorway (6).
5. The west side of the south porch
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6. The south porch
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The 12th century south wall of the nave (7) is knapped flint with a pattern of stone blocks which are a mixture of Corallian limestone and Shaftesbury Sandstone. There is a small 12th century window to the east of the porch which is Corallian limestone externally but retains its original stonework internally (not seen, see note below). The large rectangular window is a 1902 replacement in Corallian limestone.
The south wall of the chancel (8), also 12th century, matches the wall of the nave and also has 19th century replacement windows in Corallian Limestone. However the east wall of the chancel which is also 12th century has had recent repairs (9). The quoins on the south corner are Shaftesbury Sandstone but those on the north side are Corallian Limestone matching those of the adjacent north chapel. At the apex of the 19th century east window a column of stone blocks has been inserted, possibly when the window was inserted.
The south wall of the chancel (8), also 12th century, matches the wall of the nave and also has 19th century replacement windows in Corallian Limestone. However the east wall of the chancel which is also 12th century has had recent repairs (9). The quoins on the south corner are Shaftesbury Sandstone but those on the north side are Corallian Limestone matching those of the adjacent north chapel. At the apex of the 19th century east window a column of stone blocks has been inserted, possibly when the window was inserted.
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7. The south wall of the nave
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8. The south wall of the chancel
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9. The east wall of the chancel
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The bands of flint which make up the body of the upper part of the wall are distorted. In the lower part of the wall new large blocks of stone have been very recently inserted (10, 11).
10. The replacement stone in the south east corner of the east wall
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11. Close-up of replacement stone
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The new blocks of stone are completely different and are Portland limestone (12) probably Upper Whit Bed from the Isle of Portland (Id. G. Townson).
The east wall of the north chapel and the wall of the north aisle (13) were built in 1858 in coursed, knapped flint with strings courses of Corallian limestone. The windows are also Corallian Limestone.
The east wall of the north chapel and the wall of the north aisle (13) were built in 1858 in coursed, knapped flint with strings courses of Corallian limestone. The windows are also Corallian Limestone.
12. Loupe of replacement stone
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13. The north wall of the north aisle.
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The Interior
The interior of the church was not accessible due to Corona virus restrictions.
References
1) Clive Hannay , Shillingstone, in Dorset Life Magazine , March 2012
2) Hill M., Newman J., Pevsner N. (2018), The Buildings of England, Dorset, Yale U. Press, p.557
3) https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/shillingstone-north-dorset
4) https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol3/pp238-242
References
1) Clive Hannay , Shillingstone, in Dorset Life Magazine , March 2012
2) Hill M., Newman J., Pevsner N. (2018), The Buildings of England, Dorset, Yale U. Press, p.557
3) https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/shillingstone-north-dorset
4) https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol3/pp238-242
