St Nicholas of Myrna, Worth Matravers. Grade 1 listed. NGR: SY9728 577450. Lead author: PAS.
The village was originally called ‘Worth’ meaning an enclosure. In 1220 Alice De Buerre gave Purbeck Marble and stone to build Salisbury Cathedral from the manor of Worth. The village acquired the addition title of ‘Matravers’ after William Matravers , constable of Corfe took ownership of the manor in the 14th century.
The Exterior
The church was built in about 1100 and consisted of a tower, nave and chancel (1 and 2). Of note, are the many gargoyles which run beneath the roof line. In the 13th century the south and east walls of the chancel were rebuilt to accommodate a chapel which was demolished in the 18th century. At the same time lancet windows were inserted into the walls of the nave. The 12th century chancel arch and south inner doorway were incorporated at a much later date. The east wall was rebuilt in the mid 14th century. The church was restored between 1869 and 1872.
1. View of the church from the south west.
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2. The porch and tower from the south.
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The roof and porch are covered with Purbeck limestone flags (3). The buttresses are all ashlar Upper Purbeck Broken Shell Limestone known as ‘Burr’. The windows vary in age and shape but all the stonework is Burr (4and 5).
3. Roof of the porch showing Purbeck flags in decreasing size towards the apex.
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4. Nave window.
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5. 12th century window in north wall of nave.
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The lower levels of the south walls of the nave and chancel have been built out at an angle to the vertical which increases in height to the east (6) and consist of blocks of Burr in random sizes. The upper levels are vertical and built of narrow Purbeck limestone rubble blocks. Two long blocks of Purbeck Marble placed diagonally in the wall of the nave mark the place where there was once a doorway (7).
6. South wall of chancel.
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7. South wall of nave.
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The east wall of the chancel (8) consists of coursed blocks of Burr to above the height of the window apex and then filled in with narrow blocks of Purbeck rubble stone. The window has a recent replacement mullion which is a light cream shell brash limestone which has not been positively identified but is probably recently quarried ‘Burr’ (9).
8. East wall of the chancel.
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9. The 20th century repair to the east window.
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The north walls of the chancel, the nave and the tower are original to the building (circa 1100) and are built of many coursed narrow blocks of Purbeck limestone (10 and 11). The north doorway, placed centrally in the nave wall is of Burr (12). The rectangular windows in the west wall of the tower are probably 19th century additions (no photo).
10. The north wall of chancel.
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11. Example of the random rubble wall in the nave north wall.
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12. North doorway.
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The Porch was built in the 18th century using stone, mainly Burr, from the demolished south chapel. Both outer and inner doorways are said to be Norman in date but they are second-hand and their history vague. The inner archway is thought to have also come from the chapel (13). The defaced tympanum above the doorway depicts the coronation of the Virgin Mary with angels either side. The porch also houses several grave slabs in Purbeck Marble (not shown).
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The interior
The inner walls are plastered (14). The floor is paved with Purbeck limestone flags. The carved Norman chancel arch is made of Burr (15). In the chancel above the priest’s doorway in the south wall is a medieval head carved in Burr (16). On the east wall of the chancel is a niche carved in Burr housing a modern statue of St. Nicholas of Myrna (No photo). The font is Portland limestone (17).
14. The interior of the church looking towards the chancel.
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15. The chancel arch.
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16. Double headed gargoyle.
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17. The font.
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Historical and architectural sources
1) Pitfield, F.P. (1985) Purbeck Parish Churches, pp. 105 – 110, Pub. Dorset Publishing Co.
ISBN 0 902129 71 6.
2) 'Worth Matravers', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, accessed on line at:
British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol2/ (pp410-416)
PAS-11-10-2018
1) Pitfield, F.P. (1985) Purbeck Parish Churches, pp. 105 – 110, Pub. Dorset Publishing Co.
ISBN 0 902129 71 6.
2) 'Worth Matravers', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, accessed on line at:
British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol2/ (pp410-416)
PAS-11-10-2018
