St Aldhelm's Church, Belchalwell
| Church of St Aldhelm, Belchalwell | |
|---|---|
 View from the south-east | |
 | |
| 50°53.2305′N 2°17.7960′W / 50.8871750°N 2.2966000°W | |
| OS grid reference | ST 792 097 |
| Location | Belchalwell |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Aldhelm |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 4 Oct 1960[2] |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Salisbury |
| Deanery | Blackmore Vale Deanery[1] |
St Aldhelm's Church is a Grade II* listed Anglican church in the village of Belchalwell, Dorset. It is in the ecclesiastical parish of Belchalwell, which is part of the Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes.[1]
The church is situated on higher ground above Belchalwell village. The oldest parts of the church are of the 12th century; much of the building is of the 15th century.
Saint Aldhelm
There being no trace of the original dedication, after church records were lost in a fire in 1731, the church was dedicated in 1959 to Saint Aldhelm.[3]
Saint Aldhelm (c.639–709) was a notable scholar in Wessex in the time of King Ine; he was appointed the first Abbot of Malmesbury c.675, and became the first Bishop of Sherborne in 705.[4]
History and description
The nave is the oldest surviving part of the church; the south wall dates from the late 12th century. There is no south aisle; the south doorway, which leads directly to the nave, is from this early period, having a well-preserved semi-circular Norman arch decorated with chevron patterns and terminating in head-stops.[2][5]
Most of the rest of the church is of the 15th century: the porch, the tower (built on the south of the church, adjoining the porch), the nave arcade, north aisle and the chancel. The tower has two stages and a parapet with battlements. It has gargoyles at the corners of the parapet string course, and a sundial (probably added later) on the south-west buttress of the tower.[2][5]
In the late 19th century the north aisle, the east wall of the chancel and the west wall of the nave were rebuilt.[2][5]
References
- ^ a b Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes, accessed 29 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d Historic England. "Church of St Aldhelm (1216309)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "St Aldhelm's Church – Belchalwell" Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ St. Aldhelm (c.639–709) Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury, accessed 29 October 2017.
- ^ a b c 'Okeford Fitzpaine', An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 3: Central (1970), pp. 200–207 British History Online, accessed 29 October 2017.