History of this Grade One Listed Building
“The Church at Stourton Candel is a small ancient fabric, the Nave and Chancel of
one space, slated. The South door is an
angle of the chancel” (Hutchins History of
Dorset, 1815 edition).
“From the structure as it stands today it is accepted that the Chancel
and Nave date from the early part of the 13th century, the
Tower from the 14th and the
Porch and South Chapel from the late 14th or early 15th century. Thus for around 800
years this church has served the village and we are fortunate indeed that so
much of it survives in original” (Fernandes and Blades, Stourton Caundle: The History of a
Dorset Village).
Over the centuries, the church
has had both good and bad periods. In
1876, the church was in such a state of disrepair that an architect’s report
recommended the rebuilding of the upper two stages of the tower, the major
reconstruction of the walls of the Nave and the South Chapel and part of the
walls of the Chancel as well as the complete re-roofing of the Chancel, Nave
and Porch. Under the leadership of the
then churchwardens, Samuel Rice and Alban Harris, sufficient funds were raised
to meet all these restoration costs.
Happily
while no such very major work is needed today, a recent inspection has shown
that serious remedial work is required to some parts of the church to prevent
more severe deterioration.
In
essence, the work required is to:
· Conserve stone surround of the west door (at foot of Tower);
· Conserve remains of lime render on north
side of the Chancel;
· Repair north-east corner stones of the Nave
and re-point parts thereof;
· Repair stonework of the Tower and re-point
parts thereof;
· Re-point parts of open joints in external
walls;
· Adjust and extend the tower parapet gutter
chutes;
· Re-point the stair turret;
· Upgrade
the lightning conductor.
£40,000 is needed NOW
The
Parochial Church Council, which has the legal responsibility for maintaining
the church, intends to raise this money by:
· Seeking donations (either one-off or regular) from villagers and others
who have had connections with the church in the past.
· Applying
for grants from trusts and charities, whose aims include the preservation of
ancient buildings.
· Organising events – the variety being
planned will be aimed at encouraging maximum participation from villagers and
attracting those from further afield to visit the village and contribute to the
appeal.
· To make a donation, complete a donation form and return it to the Appeal
Treasurer
· Attend
or better still participate in one of the events that will be organised
throughout 2009 and 2010 – which will be publicised in The Stourton Caundler
and the Blackmore Vale magazines. Or best of all organise your own event and
contribute the profit to the Appeal Fund.
Chairman Tim Villiers, The
Old Vicarage, DT10 2JN
01963 364384
Treasurer Gerry Holdstock, Griffin,
DT10 2JW 01963
362001
Secretary Eric Dummett, 9
Drove Close, DT10 2QH 01963
362374