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Address Dorset AONB, Beaminster DT8 3RE, UK | ||
St. Mary's Church is a 19th-century Anglican church, located in Drimpton village, which is situated in West Dorset, England.
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History
St. Mary's Church opened in 1867, after Rev. Solomon Caesar Malan called for a chapel of ease to be built in Drimpton, which was considered part of the Broadwindsor parish at the time. Malan had been the vicar of Broadwindsor since 1845, and was also responsible for the construction of the school at Drimpton, which was built in 1874.
Initially, Malan began a public subscription to raise the necessary funds for the church. The subscription was successful over the following years, with money largely being "solicited from friends and neighbours". One donor was Richard Chenevix Trench, the Archbishop of Dublin, who sent his donation with the note: "Poor Ireland sends £2 to rich England". Malan also received donations of various materials for the church's construction. Most notably, the local landowner Captain Spurway donated much of the building stone.
Designed by James Mountford Allen of Crewkerne, the church was largely built by Malan and other volunteers. The chosen site was a plot of land owned by the John Gould charity. The construction of St. Mary's commenced in 1863 and was completed in 1867. Despite the donations of building materials, the church cost £584 to build. It was built to hold a congregation of 100.
The church was consecrated on 21 July 1867 by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rt. Rev. Walter Hamilton. For the consecration service, the church was only attended by those who had received an invitation. All other locals who wished to be present had to remain in the churchyard for the duration of the service. An evening service was later held on the same day, which was reported to have 27 parishioners come forward for baptism, however only 18 were able to receive it during that particular service.
In 1892, Drimpton became its own parish, which in turn led to the designation of St. Mary's as the new parish church. Today, the village is part of the Beaminster Area Team, with St. Mary's remaining an active Church of England church.
Features
A small church, St. Mary's is positioned at the top of the village and is raised slightly above the surrounding houses. The interior of the church is designed in a simple chapel-style layout. The entrance to the church is through a porch of later date. Inside the church is a wooden war memorial attached to the wall, which was erected in remembrance to the seven local men who died during World War I.