St. Peter's Church, Dorchester. Lead authors: SA, PSt
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St Peter’s Church lies on High Street West and North Square, facing Cornhill, Dorchester. Its boundaries are marked by a low wall of Portland Stone. In the courtyard within those boundaries is a bronze statue of the Reverend William Barnes,1801 – 1886, standing on a plinth of Portland Freestone.
Most of the church is of the 15th century, mostly about 1420, with later additions and alterations. It has been a Grade 1 listed building since 1950. |
1, St Peter's Church High West St Dorchester.
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The exterior of the building is of Purbeck stone, with much of it Cypris Freestone with some Broken Shell Limestone.
The roof tiles and the roof tiles on the south porch are made of Purbeck limestone, possibly Downing or Roach vein, often used for roof tiles for its fissile nature, with the roof of the east end of the building in red tiles. The castellations and gargoyles are made of Ham Hill Stone. Some mouldings, 110 cm above floor level, facing south and east have been replaced with Ham Hill Stone.
The roof tiles and the roof tiles on the south porch are made of Purbeck limestone, possibly Downing or Roach vein, often used for roof tiles for its fissile nature, with the roof of the east end of the building in red tiles. The castellations and gargoyles are made of Ham Hill Stone. Some mouldings, 110 cm above floor level, facing south and east have been replaced with Ham Hill Stone.
2, St Peter's window replacement possibly Cotswold, Jurassic Guiting Stone.
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3. South facing boundary wall to St Peters . Purbeck Cypris Freestone.
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4, St Peters left hand east- facing window ( Ham Hill Stone) Note the weathering of the Purbeck Stone walls.
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The stone work on the south-facing window at the east end of the building has been replaced with what is possibly Cotswold Jurassic Guiting Stone. The windows at the east end of the building, facing into North Square have been replaced with Doulting stone, a Jurassic Inferior Oolite.
5. St Peter's: east window to chancel in Doulting Stone(a Jurassic Inferior Oolite).
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6, East-facing window right of the chancel. Note weathering of the stone and the Ham Hill Stone and Purbeck Stone window dressings.
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7, St. Peter's: right hand east facing window.
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8, The north-facing windows to the chancel are both of Doulting Stone.
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9, St Peter's: south-facing window dressings of Ham Hill Stone.
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10, St Peter's porch, note the walls, window and roof.
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The flooring of the South Porch entrance is made of Purbeck flagstones. The site of this entrance is dated to the 12th century, when it is thought a Norman church occupied this position. The entrance arch stonework has been lime-washed, but is probably Portland Stone. The decoration around the arch is typical of Norman chevron carving.
11, William Barnes Statue on a plinth of Portland Stone.
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12, Portland Stone seen in the Statue (x 10 loupe image).
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13, Sculptured head in porch. Note the weathered Purbeck stone walls and arch.
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14, Portland Stone sculptured head in porch.
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15, Carved entrance arch, lime- washed but probably of Portland Stone.
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The Interior
Three clustered shaft-type columns on each side of the Nave have been lime- washed. Closer examination has revealed cross-bedding, so as the equilateral arches surmounting them are of Ham Hill Stone it likely the columns are also made of it. A column and arch on each side of the Chancel at the junction with the Nave have not been lime-washed and can be identified as being Ham Hill Stone. The arch and surroundings leading to the pulpit on the north side of the chancel, are of Ham Hill Stone.
Three clustered shaft-type columns on each side of the Nave have been lime- washed. Closer examination has revealed cross-bedding, so as the equilateral arches surmounting them are of Ham Hill Stone it likely the columns are also made of it. A column and arch on each side of the Chancel at the junction with the Nave have not been lime-washed and can be identified as being Ham Hill Stone. The arch and surroundings leading to the pulpit on the north side of the chancel, are of Ham Hill Stone.
16, St. Peter's interior with Ham Hill Stone columns ( lime- washed in places).
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17, Memorial to Denzel Lord Holles with carved marble statues and relief.
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18, Purbeck Marble ledger stone in the nave . Note the shells of the Viviparus gastropod.
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On the inside walls of the church are many memorial plaques, mostly of white and black marble. The largest memorial sculpture is on the north-west wall facing east, for Denzil, Lord Holles, Baron of Ifield, which is made of variegated marble.
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The floor is made up of Purbeck flagstones, some light in colour, some black, probably Lower Jurassic Lias. A large flagstone near the rear of the nave contains numerous shells of Unio porrectus, a Jurassic bivalve, is made from Unio Bed, an Upper Purbeck stone. Unio bivalves are usually found in rivers, so can be thought as a fresh water or low salinity species bivalve.
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19, Purbeck Stone flagstone (Unio bed, note fossil bivalve shells).
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20, Purbeck stone flagstones ( not where the stones are larger they are ledger ( memorial) stones of a different Purbeck Stone.
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21. The hexagonal decorated font, probably of Portland Base Bed, which is readily carved.
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The hexagonal decorated font, situated near the south entrance, has been lime- washed, but is probably the Portland Base Bed, which is readily carved.
22. Slightly less lime-washed arch showing detail of Ham Hill Stone with mortared repairs.
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23. Ham Hill Stone columns.
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The illuminated reredos (approx. 180cm by 76 cm in height) are reliefs of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, carved in alabaster with Portland Stone carvings in niches on either side, take up the full width of the chancel behind the altar. They date from 1894-1897.
24. Portland Stone carving in the niches of the reredos. Main panel relief is alabaster
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25. Panel relief of reredos in alabaster with Portland Stone carvings either side.
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The small chapel at the south-east end of the nave contains two knights, (approx.180cm in length) recumbent in window sills, made of Ham Hill Stone. Their origin is uncertain.
26. The small chapel at the south-east end of the nave contains two knights, (approx.180cm in length) recumbent in window sills, made of Ham Hill Stone. Their origin is uncertain.
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27, Effigy of a knight in east facing window of south transept. Very dirty and lime washed but probably Ham Hill stone as in 26.
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Reference
Purbeck Stone by Treleven Haysom.
Purbeck Stone by Treleven Haysom.
