Boveridge: St Aldhelm
Overview
Grid reference: SU 60 146
The church is built in the classical style with some Lombardic overtones, especially in the tower. Though simple, it is a characterful building and the brick plinth, the prominent quoins of brick (three rows projecting, three recessed) and the alternating bands of brick and stone on the walls between show a careful attention to detail.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Rectangular, with nave and chancel under one roof; north transept and north-west tower.
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built as a chapel of ease to Cranborne in 1838 at the expense of Richard Brounker of Boveridge House; it was consecrated on 1 February 1842 by the Bishop of Salisbury. The architect is not known, although is was quite possibly William Evans of Wimborne who designed Boveridge House and partly rebuilt Sturminster Newton Church, or (since he died at the age of 78 in 1842) his son George (c.1800-1873) who designed several churches in Dorset including Goldenhurst (1834), Melbury Abbas (1851-2) Fontmell Magna (1862-3), Compton Abbas (1866-7) and Hinton Parva (1860), though the latter's work was usually in the Gothic style. The building is not the first chapel in Boveridge since one is mentioned in a will of 1595, but a note in the church says that the previous building stood "near the home farm". During the latter part of the seventeenth century almshouses were built in Boveridge, and in 1790 the Vicar of Cranborne, Henry Donne, noted that he did not care for the journey to Boveridge in the winter. The bracket dated 1708 in the chancel may refer to a previous building on this site. The church was restored and reseated in 1897.
Exterior Description
The church is built in the classical style with some Lombardic overtones, especially in the tower. Though simple, it is a characteful building and the brick plinth, the prominent quoins of brick (three rows projecting, three recessed) and the alternating bands of brick and stone on the walls between show a careful attention to detail. The oblong nave has a simple broken pediment on the east and west walls, all carried out in brick which means that the dentils are perhaps slightly larger than they should be. In the west wall there is a round-headed doorway in the lower part with a surround formed in the same way as the quoins, and above this is a stone-framed Venetian window. In the south wall are three windows, all round-headed and the outer two with a mullion and transom giving two rectangular lights under a lunette. The central window is half the width and has one light. In the east wall is a round-headed window filled with brickwork in the lower part so that only a lunette at the head is glazed. The tower which stands on the north side of the west front is of small dimensions and rises to the height of the west gable with quoins at the angles like the body of the church, but no openings save for a round window in the east wall. At this level there is a dentilled cornice above which is the bell-stage, set back and all of brick. In each face is a round-headed arch with wooden tracery of two round arches with a small roundel above. At the top is a plainer brick cornice. The finial of the tower is a square cupola of stone carried on four unfluted Tuscan columns with big capitals carrying round arches with keystones, the stone roof with an ogee profile and finished with a gadrooned urn. The north transept has a gable similar to the nave but at right-angles and a single-light window in the north wall.
Interior
Interior Description
The west door is of oak, with three fielded panels in each leaf and panelled pilasters at each side. The wooden tympanum above has four panels fanning out from a central semi-circle. The door gives straight into the nave. The nave and chancel are one room, the only difference being two steps at the communion rails. The floors are of wood blocks, the walls are plastered and whitewashedand lined out to resmble ashlar masonry. The canted plaster ceiling is spanned by ribs making a pattern of lozenges along the flat centre. The transept roof is similar. In the south wall there are widely-splayed plain reveals for the three windows and in the north wall a broad round-headed arch with a chamfered edge opens into the transept which is arranged as a family pew two steps above the level of the nave. In the north-west corner of the nave a small door of three deal panels under a segmental head opens into the base of the tower. The whole interior of the church has a panelled dado made up of fragments of varying dates. The fan-like glazing of the east window is interrupted by a circular pane in the middle which may have been intended to take a panel of stained glass.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th Century
The altar is a nineteenth-century oak frame.
Pulpit
The pulpit is on plan three sides of an octagon and consists of a heavily moulded cornice carried on a series of uniform uprights which, though square in section have diagonal grooves like barley sugar turning. On a slender panel in the centre is a carving in relief of a jewelled chalice with the host above in a glory and a cherub's head below, probably eighteenth-century Italian. The pulpit came from St. Thomas's Church, Salisbury.
Lectern
The lectern has a stout base and ringed stem with a revolving two-sided desk; of Butterfieldian vigour, all of oak.
Font (object)
c.1840
The font has a square baluster stem on a moulded base and a round gadrooned and fluted bowl (the fluting inside to correspond with the gadrooning outside); of creamy white Portland stone, without a cover.
Panelling
c.16th Century
Panelling round the sanctuary and on the south nave wall is of linenfold with either panels of Renaissance ornament (foliage scrolls, arabesques, cherubs etc) above or rows of florets.
Panelling
c.1840
The north and west nave walls have plain panelling.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 60 146
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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