St Aldhelm's Church, Belchalwell

Church of St Aldhelm, Belchalwell
View from the south-east
50°53.2305′N2°17.7960′W / 50.8871750°N 2.2966000°W / 50.8871750; -2.2966000
OS grid reference	ST 792 097
Location	Belchalwell
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	Saint Aldhelm
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	4 October 1960 [1]
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Salisbury
Deanery	Blackmore Vale Deanery [2]

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. ^[2]

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 doorway in the south porch, showing the decorated Norman arch

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. ^{[1] [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. ^{[1] [5]}

In the late 19th century the north aisle, the east wall of the chancel and the west wall of the nave were rebuilt. ^{[1] [5]}

References

1. Historic England. "Church of St Aldhelm (1216309)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 29 October 2017.
2. Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes, accessed 29 October 2017.
3. "St Aldhelm's Church – Belchalwell" Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
4. St. Aldhelm (c.639–709) Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury, accessed 29 October 2017.
5. 'Okeford Fitzpaine', An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 3: Central (1970), pp. 200–207 British History Online, accessed 29 October 2017.