St. Mary’s Church, Edward Road, West Fordington, Dorchester. Lead authors: SA, PSt.
The church of St. Mary the Virgin is an Anglican church in Dorchester. It was built in 1910 – 1912 and was made a Grade 2 listed building in 1975. See Historic England listing 101110596 Church of St Mary, Dorchester, Dorset.
The exterior is built of grey Purbeck limestone with yellow Bath Stone quoins and window frames and mullions.
The exterior is built of grey Purbeck limestone with yellow Bath Stone quoins and window frames and mullions.
1. St Mary's Porch. Note the Portland Stone steps, Bath Stone arch and sculptures and Portland Stone ( probably Whit Bed) Ashlar main walls.
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2. South Doorway is of intricately carved Bath Stone with ashlar-cut walls.
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The carved Gothic arch leading to the South Door and its surrounds are Bath tone with Portland Stone steps.
3 St Mary's: detail of doorway arch to porch ( Bath Stone)
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4a. St Mary's: south exterior.
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Extract from The History of St Mary the Virgin Church West Fordington, Dorchester by Robert Potter 1998:
“The work was done by Hoskins Brothers of Newbury, using inland Purbeck stone (from near Swanage) with softer Bath Stone, an oolite, (from Hartham Quarry) for the window surrounds and other dressed areas. The same Bath Stone was used inside the church.”
“The work was done by Hoskins Brothers of Newbury, using inland Purbeck stone (from near Swanage) with softer Bath Stone, an oolite, (from Hartham Quarry) for the window surrounds and other dressed areas. The same Bath Stone was used inside the church.”
Recognisable Purbeck stone is from the Broken Shell Limestone Bed (Burr), which makes up the bottom few courses with Cypris Freestone occurring in the upper courses. The quoins appear to be Bath Stone but have considerable amounts of lichen on the surface, although the ooids are clear using a hand lens.
4b. Loupe x 10 of Purbeck Broken Shell Limestone ( Burr)
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4c. St Mary's x 10 loupe Purbeck Cypris Freestone.
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4d. St Mary's: Purbeck Broken Shell Limestone block above loupe and Purbeck Cypris Freestone below as shown in previous images of loupes.
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Inside, the nave has four columns on the north and south side surmounted by semi-circular or “Basket-handle” arches. Much of the stonework has been painted or has had what may have been a lime wash. They appear to be of Bath Stone. Bath Stone - Somerset & Wilts - DORSET BUILDING STONE
5. Interior Columns are of Bath Stone including capitals and decoration.
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6. St Mary's interior facing east towards Altar. Bath Stone pillars and window dressings.
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The font is of the polypod style with a central column and four pillars of Purbeck Marble. Upper Purbeck (Purbeck Marble) - DORSET BUILDING STONE
Extract from History of St Mary’s by Robert Potter:
“The font is made of different stones, the steps are hardwearing Portland Stone, the pillars are of Purbeck Marble and the font itself is made of easily worked Caen Stone.”
Caen stone from Normandy (Pierre-de-Caen-stone) is a homogenous Jurassic limestone suitable for carving. See www.dorsetbuildingstone.org/pierre-de-caen-caen-stone.html
Extract from History of St Mary’s by Robert Potter:
“The font is made of different stones, the steps are hardwearing Portland Stone, the pillars are of Purbeck Marble and the font itself is made of easily worked Caen Stone.”
Caen stone from Normandy (Pierre-de-Caen-stone) is a homogenous Jurassic limestone suitable for carving. See www.dorsetbuildingstone.org/pierre-de-caen-caen-stone.html
7. The font bowl is Caen Stone with Purbeck Marble columns ( a polished freshwater limestone with Viviparus gastropod (snail shells).
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8. The South Transept Chapel . The altarpiece is a Pieta in Portland Stone. The window dressings are of Bath Stone.
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The Chapel on the south side of the choir has a stone pieta as a reredos, which was fitted in 1940. It is a much whiter than the Bath Stone so it is likely to be Portland Stone Base Bed. This is fine-grained and can be carved intricately. Alternatively it may be Caen Stone from Normandy, like the older font.
9. Bath Stone walls. Portland Stone Statue ( Portland Stone is noticably whiter).
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10. Flooring towards the altar of black Carboniferous Limestone with fossil corals ( Frosterley Marble) and white true marble( metamorphosed limestone).
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The chancel is approximately the same length of the nave, the floor being of white marble (or polished white limestone) interspersed with black Frosterley marble tiles. The tiles are approximately 20” square. (photos)
Frosterley Marble leaflet 2015.qxp_Layout
Frosterley Marble leaflet 2015.qxp_Layout
11. Black Limestone with white fossil corals and crinoids ( sea lilies).
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12. Detail of the solitary fossil corals in the Frosterley Marble.
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Extract from Robert Potter:
“The steps up to the screen are of Portland stone, but the floor of the chancel, the steps and the area round the altar are made of Frosterley marble from a quarry in County Durham. The so-called marble is coral-rich Carboniferous limestone which has been quarried and worked as ornamental stone for many centuries and used for flooring and columns in Durham cathedral. It is not known how it came to be used here, so far south.”
The altar rests on a Frosterley Marble plinth.
“The steps up to the screen are of Portland stone, but the floor of the chancel, the steps and the area round the altar are made of Frosterley marble from a quarry in County Durham. The so-called marble is coral-rich Carboniferous limestone which has been quarried and worked as ornamental stone for many centuries and used for flooring and columns in Durham cathedral. It is not known how it came to be used here, so far south.”
The altar rests on a Frosterley Marble plinth.
13 Piscina and Sedilla by the Altar made of carved Bath Stone.
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14. Plaque of polished Portland Base Bed.
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15. St Mary's: East Facing window and buttresses of Bath Stone. Walls of Purbeck Stone.
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16. St Mary's: Bath Stone (Great Oolite) x 10 loupe.
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Text by Peter Stevens and quotes from 'The History of St Mary the Virgin Church West Fordington, Dorchester' by Robert Potter, 1998.
