St Andrew’s Church, Todber Listing: Grade 2, NGR: ST79977 20050. Lead author: PS
*It was only possible to view the exterior of the building as the church was locked.
Although the church has Saxon origins, it was built in the 15th century and almost entirely rebuilt in 1879 in mainly Perpendicular style (Photo 1). The restoration retained most of the original medieval tower above the South Porch (Photo 2).
Although the church has Saxon origins, it was built in the 15th century and almost entirely rebuilt in 1879 in mainly Perpendicular style (Photo 1). The restoration retained most of the original medieval tower above the South Porch (Photo 2).
1. St. Andrew's Church
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2. The south porch
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The stone used in the walls of the church is the locally quarried, mid-Jurassic, Corallian limestone (Todber Freestone) on a plinth of mid-Cretaceous Shaftesbury Sandstone from the Upper Greensand. The church is located on a hill adjacent to old quarry workings which may have been the source of the stone for the church. Photograph 3 shows the area where the photographs of the stone used in the walls and windows were taken.
3. North side of the nave.
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4. The Todber Freestone used in walling
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The stone used in the Nave and Chancel
The coursed blocks of light cream limestone used in the walls are Todber Freestone. They are fairly uniform in appearance and texture throughout the building with very fine bedding (Photo 4). The stone is oolitic and sparite-cemented with a content of very fine shell fragments. In Photo 5 and Loupe Photo 6, many small circular holes can be seen in the surface of the stone where ooliths have dropped out.
The coursed blocks of light cream limestone used in the walls are Todber Freestone. They are fairly uniform in appearance and texture throughout the building with very fine bedding (Photo 4). The stone is oolitic and sparite-cemented with a content of very fine shell fragments. In Photo 5 and Loupe Photo 6, many small circular holes can be seen in the surface of the stone where ooliths have dropped out.
5. Close-up of the Todber Freestone
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6. Loupe of Todber Freestone. Size 2cm. x 2cm.
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Stone from the Clavellata Beds higher in the Corallian sequence has been used for the windows dressings and quoins of the nave and chancel (Photo 7), but not the south porch. The blocks are strongly sparite-cemented and the shell fragments are generally larger than in the Freestone, sometimes with noticeable bedding (Photo 8). Some ooliths are still retained in the surface of the stone (Loupe photo 9).
7. Clavellata Bed window-dressing
The stone used in the South Porch
The walls of the porch are Todber Freestone like the rest of the walls of the building. The ashlar porch buttresses (Photos 10 and 11), and the exterior doorway (Photos 12, 13 and 14), appear to have retained some original stone from the 15th century or earlier build as they are Shaftesbury Sandstone. This is a fossiliferous sandstone belonging to the Cretaceous Upper Greensand. It is widely used for building in North Dorset. The sandstone has a greenish colouration due to the presence of the mineral glauconite. 
10. South porch
12. The porch doorway
15. Photo taken in the 1980's of the quarry face in the Todber Freestone below the church. Image: JT
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8. Close up of Clavellata Bed stone
9. Loupe of Clavellata Bed showing ooliths in situ. Size 2cm. x 2cm.
11. Shaftesbury Sandstone in porch buttress
13. Close-up of sandstone from doorway
14. Loupe of Shaftesbury Sandstone. Size 2cm. x 2cm.
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Additional information about the stone used for the Saxon cross in the churchyard and the interior may be added at a later date.
All text and photos by PS, October 2017
All text and photos by PS, October 2017
