(1831 Map Showing All Saints & West Parley)
The dedication of All Saints Church was lost as a result of the parish records being burnt in the Great Fire of Blandford in 1731 and more being destroyed in the Bristol Riots of 1829. It is supposed that a church stood here in Saxon times and that it was replaced by the present building in the 12th century using materials from the original building. It has walls of heathstone rubble, partly rendered with ashlar dressings and a roof of tile and stone-slates. The church stands on a slight rise beside the river Stour location map Later research has shown that it is not aligned true east and west but points to where, prior to 1752, the sun would rise on All Saints Day.
From the plan church plan you will see that the nave is 12th century with the chancel probably dating from the 14th century. Late in the 15 or early in the 16th century the north porch was added and the nave was reroofed. Later in the 16th century the west wall was rebuilt and the western part of the roof was altered to allow the construction of a wooden bell turret plan bell tower. The present turret dates from the late 19 century. It was damaged by storms in 1984 when the wood was replaced with plastic cladding and the bell mountings repaired. In 1896 the north vestry was added and the chancel extended, the original east window being reset. The Porch was restored in 1900.
CHURCHYARD
You enter the churchyard by a wicket gate which was
remade to an old pattern in 1970 by Col J Blackater. On passing through the
gate there is a tombstone on the left in memory of the Misses Green who were
drowned in the River Stour at Redhill in a dense fog on the 24 January 1908.
Their Mother was the school mistress at East Parley.
Sun Dial
As you walk-up the pathway there is a sundial on the right between the yew
trees. This sundial stands on an old wooden post which was part of a gallows
which stood on Gibbet Firs at East Parley. On December 5 1803 William Harbin,
farmer of Parley Green, was buried at Christchurch Priory. He had been
murdered by his son and John Guppy. There are variations of the story but it
would seen that the son was persuaded by his mother to murder his father
before he changed his will. John Guppy, friend, agreed to help for half a
crown (12.5p). They were both tried at Winchester and brought back to Gibbet
Firs (the place nearest the crime) for execution. The bodies were gibbeted in
chains and left to hang for some time. Later, the mother became insane and
spent days and nights scaring away the birds and trying to feed the bodies by
throwing potatoes into their mouths. The owner of the land, disgusted with the
habits of sightseers, cut down the gibbet and gave part of the post to the
Rector of West Parley.
He set it up where it is now and put a sun dial on
it. Because of its dreadful history it is said the sundial never gives the
right time.
The Bell Turret
The bell inside is dated 1792 and was made by T Pyke of Bridgwater. Pyke was
the head of a then well known firm of bell founders and supplied five other
Dorset churches with bells. Atop the turret is a weather Vane of iron with
arrow head and open fish tail, said to bear the date 1793. Going around the
church in an easterly direction, to the east is a large altar tomb made of
three transverse slabs. The family commemorated is that of James Roger
Bramble of Brambles Farm. He died in 1819 aged 67 years. Of the old stones
around it one is to a Mary Bramble who died at the early age of 9 years in
1736. Walk past the vestry and round to the east wall wall; here you will
find a reference to The Lady of Lydlinch.
THE LADY OF LYDLINCH
Set into the east wall in a glazed and barred recess in which there is a
14th century urn view photograph
which, at one time, held the heart of the Lady of Lydlinch. She is said to
have been the Lady of the Manor of West Parley, but on her marriage was
compelled by her husband to live at Lydlinch near Sherborne. She said, however,
that as her heart was in West Parley during her life she wished it to go there
after her death. We do not know her name but we do know that she is supposed to
have endowed this church with certain glebe and tithes of her lands, except that
of Dudsbury, which she reserved for Lydlinch. Tradition always stated that the
heart was buried under a circular stone 5ft 2inches (15.75 cms) outside the old
west wall. This was carefully excavated on the 25th May 1895 and found three
feet from the surface by the Revd. R.A.Chudleigh's workmen when enlarging the
chancel. The urn was filled with earth, somewhat stony at the top but mostly
fine below. Eight skulls and many bones were found buried round the urn and one
skull had coins in the eye-sockets. In the churchyard to the south and under a
beech tree you will notice a Table Tomb with its original railings. This is in
memory of Ethelbert Elliott who lived at Parley Court and was churchwarden in
the mid 19th century.
Turning round and looking back at the Church, notice how the lower roof tiles
are of stone. Where the boiler house and chimney now are, there used to be a
south door which is just discernible from inside the church. If you walk
towards the chimney and just as you approach it, look at the headstones close
to it. These are some of the oldest headstones with shaped tops and cherub
head decoration. The oldest appears to be that of Robert Thomas who died in
February 1689. Quite a number relate to the Thomes family and date from the
early 18th century; the name changes to Toms in the 1730s. Standing upright
against the west side of the porch is a large flat stone bearing a cross in
relief. This is thought to be a medieval coffin lid.
The timbered porch, an unusual survival, which was restored in 1900 by Lieut. Colonel R Bramble whose family lived at Brambles Farm for many generations. Note the seats and the single block of hard ferruginous sandstone (known as "heath stone") over what is believed to be a Saxon doorway. Some authorities believe this stone may have been brought from Hengistbury Head. On the left door post if you look carefully, and at the level of the top hinge, you will find a "pilgrim's mark". This is a cross scratched by a would be pilgrim before commencing his or her journey and completed when he/she heard a Mass of Thanksgiving for a safe return. The door hinges are very fine 12th century workmanship. The door of elm is nail studded and is probably 18th century.
INSIDE THE CHURCH.
The Font.Facing you as you enter the church is the font, still perhaps, in its original position and reminding us that our Saxon and Norman forebears believed as we do that Baptism is the entrance into the Christian life. It is really two fonts one above the other. The lower one, ornamented by a carved and raised design of arches and pilasters is mid 12th century. The upper font is plain and hexagonal and circa AD 1400. In the cabinet on the wall behind the font are the original 14th century wooden bosses from the roof of the nave carved with knots, frets and other devices. Above this cabinet may be seen traces of the south doorway. If you move to the pew marked "Choir" at the back of the church and look above the tester over the pulpit, you will notice a hollow earthenware acoustic urn, quite a rare occurrence.
The nave roof was concealed by a plaster barrel vault until in 1927 when Col Charles Drew, churchwarden at the time, noticed partly covered bosses appearing through broken plaster work. The timber roof was discovered to be riddled with death watch beetle. As a result of some magnificent fund raising it was restored to its former glory using traditional methods of adze, chisel and mallet, leaving it looking exactly as it was seen by 14th century workmen. It was completed in February 1933. Notice the replica bosses and heraldic shields. The bosses are of lime wood which are not attacked by beetle. The shields were painted by Mr Trelawney Dayrell Reed. Explanations are found in two framed pictures on the south wall in the choir pew.
The Pulpit and adjacent clerk's desk of oak, are Jacobean, about 1610 and have guilloche enrichments at the base. They are thought to have come from a larger church. The hexagonal sounding board is 18th century.
The Pews.
The pew marked "choir" is where in the days before an organ, the village
musicians accompanied the service. The large pew with the table in it is that
of the Patron of the living, the family of Prideaux-Brune of Plumber Manor in
North Dorset. In 1993 the pews were taken out in order to restore the floor
which was full of dry rot. Underneath the Patron's pew an 18th century glazed
brick floor was found. Walking towards the pulpit note the flap seats on the
end of the pews, these have been called "stools of repentance" where naughty
boys were made to sit under the vigilant eye of the Parish Clerk. The large
pew at the front was the Rectors. There are some 18th century pews on the left
hand side. However, when the pews were restored in 1841 materials from the
earlier pews were reused and new materials incorporated where necessary. In
the application for a grant for the "rearrangement of Pews" is "... making the
partitions, linings, seats and floors from the present materials. Erect new
doors and elbows, panelled of deal and properly hung, deal rounded capping and
plain Book Boards and brackets to each seat, proper pew hinges and Buttons to
each door. The floors to be made good with new (if not enough old) red deal."
The seats were apparently so dilapidated as to require complete reparation .
At the same time twelve additional sittings were obtained and were declared to
be FREE AND UNAPPROPRIATED FOR EVER.
The Chancel Arch is 14th century, its small regular voussoirs may be reused
12th century material The Chancel was rebuilt and enlarged in 1896 by the
Reverend R A Chudleigh in memory of his mother. The west window in the south
side incorporates reused material, possibly mediaevil. On the south side of
the wall dividing the chancel from the nave is a recess, possibly the remains
of an aumbrey or cupboard for the storage of sacred vessels. This has a saxon
headstone and was found built up inside the wall during the rebuilding.
The Windows
The east window is 14th century showing characteristic geometrical tracery of
the Early English period. It was reset in the new wall in 1896 when the
chancel was enlarged. It contains a stained glass memorial to Reverend Henry
Buller's mother and to his wife. The windows in the north wall and the west
wall are 17th century. The north window has been called "The Masonic window".
It is in memory of J.R.Brambleof Bristol whose family lived at Brambles Farm
for over two hundred years and whose tombs are directly outside the church on
the north side. It was this gentleman J.R.Bramble who had the north porch
restored in 1900. The west window also contains a memorial to the Bramble
family.
Church Plate (Not on display)
The Chalice and Paten are dated 1574 and are the work of Lawrence Stratfield
of Dorchester and may be the silver of the original sacred vessels use in the
church prior to the Reformation. They were returned to the church during the
incumbency of the Reverend Rover Tower who was Rector under Henry VIII, Edward
VI, Mary, Elizabeth I and James I - a period of 71 years. There is also a
pewter tankard dated 1729.
THE CHURCH REGISTERS
The church registers date from 1720 and the churchwardens' accounts from
1792. They are now kept in optimum conditions by the Dorset County Archives
Service at the County Record Office in Dorchester where they, or copies, can
be viewed on request. (County
Record Office). Some of the entries in the Churchwardens' Book make
interesting reading.
We know that in 1793 over £40 was spent in the purchase, carriage and setting
up of the bell. This sum also included the rebuilding and strengthening of the
west wall to take the additional weight. Other entries include :
1793 A new prayer book £1. 8s. 6d
A new bier £1. 0s. 9d
A new surplus (presumably surplice for the Rector and a Charge on the
Church £3. 3s. 10d
1795 Painting the tower and disbursements 18s 0d
1798 A family with a pass 2s 6d
1818/19 Violin cello £6, Bow 7s 6d, Case £1. 1s 0d. (A guinea)
For the use of the musicians using the pew marked "choir"
1840/41 Repairing Bass Viol 7s 0d
1903 Holloway, cleaning the church lock, making new key, repairing old key. 6s 6d
GLOSSARY
Bosses are projections at the intersecting pints of the vault ribs.Guilloche is an ornamental band or border with a repeating pattern of two or more interwoven wavy lines.
Voussoirs are the wedge shaped stones used to construct the arch.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This history is taken from a booklet prepared by Mavis Brookes, sometime churchwarden, and published in 1998. It contains further acknowledgements which may be consulted for further or more detailed information :Hutchins History of Dorset
Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset
Brief descriptive History of All Saints Church by Reverend Wm J Freeman 1968
"West Parley" by Charles Drew
© St Marks Church West Parley