St Mary's Church, Charminster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary, Charminster |
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Viewed from the south-east
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| 50°43′58.8″N 2°27′21.2″W / 50.733000°N 2.455889°W | |
| OS grid reference | SY 679 927 |
| Location | Charminster |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 26 january 1956 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Salisbury |
St Mary's Church is an old and important church in the village of Charminster, Dorset, in England. It's part of the Church of England and is a special building known as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered very important historically and architecturally. Some parts of the church are super old, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries! The tall tower was built later, in the 16th century.
Contents
What Makes St Mary's Church Special?
How Old Is the Church?
Imagine this: there might have been a church here as early as the 8th century! That's over 1200 years ago. It might have been a simple wooden building back then. Some clues suggest that the spot where the church stands now was once a riverbed, and the very first church was a bit further west.
The oldest stone parts of the church you can see today are from the 11th century. These are found in the east wall of the main part of the church, called the nave. Other parts, like the arches on the north and south sides and a section of the south aisle, were built in the late 12th century.
The Trenchard Family's Legacy
In the 15th century, a powerful family called the Trenchards, who lived nearby at Wolfeton House, made some big changes. They made the south aisle longer to create a special chapel for their family. They extended it even more in the early 16th century. You can still see their table tombs (stone tombs shaped like tables) inside this chapel.
The church's tall tower was also built by a Trenchard, Thomas Trenchard, in the 16th century. It has three levels and a cool, embattled (like a castle wall) top with seven gargoyles! Gargoyles are stone carvings, often shaped like monsters, that help drain water from the roof. Thomas Trenchard's special swirly symbol is carved all over the tower and on the rooms next to it. The entrance porch on the south side is also from the 16th century, though its arch was rebuilt in the 17th century.
If you look closely at the north wall of the nave, you can spot some old stencilled decorations from the early 16th century. They show strawberries and their leaves!
The font, which is a large basin used for baptisms, is probably from the 12th century. It was reshaped and recarved in the 15th century.
Changes Over the Years
Like many old buildings, St Mary's Church has been updated and repaired many times. The chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was taken down in the 17th century and rebuilt around 1838. The north aisle was rebuilt in the late 19th century. The roofs were replaced in 1895, and a new organ was added around 1953. These changes show how the church has adapted and continued to be used for hundreds of years!
