The Building

The Parish Church, dedicated to St Mary, is a fine Grade I listed building standing in a commanding position overlooking the village. The oldest remaining parts of the church are sections of the nave, including the south doorway and the porch which were probably built early in the 14th century. Late in that century the chancel was rebuilt, the north and east walls were rebuilt yet again early in the 19th century. The tower is of late 14th or 15th century when much of the nave, including the chancel arch was built. The church was restored in 1878 when the north chapel, now the vestry, was added.

The organ, bought from Magdalen College Oxford, has a single manual and was built by Gray and Davidson; the pedal board is unusual in having the pedals arranged in parallel instead of radially. The altar table, with a painted wooden frontal, also came from Oxford, from Balliol. There is a ring of 8 bells, two of them pre-Reformation, the treble and second dating from 1950, while the original 6 range in age from 1848 for the 3rd, 4th and 5th to 1656 for the 6th and the late 15th century for the 7th and tenor; the latter weighs 13.5 cwts.

The clock, blacksmith made in about 1700 or a little earlier, has neither hands nor a dial and was made to strike the hours on the hour which it still does by pulling the necessary number of times on a hammer which strikes the tenor bell. The clock has a two train movement in a "bird cage" frame which was commonly used from the last quarter of the 17th century and throughout the 18th. Both trains are powered by weights giving a little over 24 hours running necessitating winding daily, a task still done by hand; volunteers are always welcome to join the rota for this purpose. The clock was neglected from the outbreak of 2nd World War until it was restored in 1982 and repositioned at the base of the tower where it can readily be seen in action. On display are plans of the church, churchyard with numbered references to the headstone inscriptions, together with a list of past Rectors and Vicars dating from 1299 when Edward I was king.

The sun-dial over the south porch was added to celebrate the Millennium.

The Parochial Church Council has adopted a policy whereby the church will embrace community use and to that end the pews at the rear of the nave have been removed and the floor there levelled to provide an open space for social occasions. As a result of the generosity of many villagers 50 upholstered chairs were recently purchased to provide additional seating when required. A hearing loop and sound enhancement system have recently been installed and a professional recording of our organist Paul Cheater made so that a library of hymns and other music can be played at St Mary’s, and other churches in the Bride Valley, in the absence of an organist. To complete the policy the redundant hall is to be demolished, to provide some car parking space and to create a vehicular access to the churchyard, and the tower is to be reordered, to provide a WC and small kitchen facility on the ground floor with a staircase to a new mezzanine floor above. The clock is to be relocated to the mezzanine floor where it should be visible framed in the west window. These works are scheduled to start in January 2010.

The Ministry

St Mary's is one of seven Parish Churches within the Bride Valley Benefice. The Rector, The Rev. Bob Thorn, is based in Burton Bradstock at the west end of the valley. Church business is dealt with on a day to day basis by the standing committee of the Parochial Church Council [Chairman-the Rector, Churchwardens Freddie Spicer and David Taylor and Secretary Wendy Taylor]. The full Council meets four times a year including the Annual Church Meeting in April. The pattern of Worship currently in use on a monthly basis is a Family Service at 11.00 a.m. on the lst Sunday, Holy Communion with hymns at 9.30 a.m. on the 2nd Sunday, Matins at 9.30 a.m. on the 3rd Sunday and Holy Communion (by extension) at 9.30 a.m. on the 4th Sunday; the service on a 5th Sunday varies and is usually a United Valley Service at one of the Valley Churches.

Copies of the Parish Magazine, The Bride Valley News, are available in the Church.

The Churchyard and the Church Hall The churchyard surrounds the Church and slopes fairly sharply in places from north to south; the extension at the north end is presently a wildlife area with paths and picnic places from which you can enjoy a vast panoramic view of the coastal ridge with Hardy's monument to the east. There are many interesting old gravestones including box graves cut from Purbeck stone liberally adorned with yellow lichens. The grass is cut and the yard generally maintained by a small band of volunteers who are constantly on the lookout for additions to their number!

Bell Ringing

The bells are rung for Sunday and other festival services and weddings. There being eight bells new ringers are always very welcome. The tower captain is Wendy Taylor. Practice night is Monday, 7.30 to 8.30 p.m.(no practice during August). It is a tradition that at New Year the Old Year is rung out with muffled bells and at Midnight, after the tenor bell has struck 12, the New Year is welcomed with the bells unmuffled.

New ringers are very welcome and instruction is available if required.