St Lawrence's Church, Toot Baldon

The church is a good example of a small early-13th-century building. It is oblong in plan,with chancel and nave of the same width, two narrow aisles and a double bell-gable at the western end, of a very early type. The chancel had two lancet windows on the north side before the restoration of 1865, when one was removed during the addition of the vestry and the organ chamber

 

St Lawrence's Church in 1880 

 

There is another lancet window on the south side of the chancel, and a 19th-century Decorated window, which replaced an original window which was considered 'clumsy' at the time. The 13th-century east window was replaced in 1800 by an 'ugly' wooden one, which was in turn replaced in 1865 by a three-light one of stone in the style of the 14th-century.

 

The reredos and east window 

The nave has four 13th-century arches on each side; the pillars of the north side have capitals sculptured with stiff-leaf ornament, which is considered good work of early date. They may have been done by the same craftsman as at Benson church. The mouldings of the capitals on the south side are of a similar early date.

 

 

There are also two 13^th century buttresses at the west end of the nave. The north door is round-headed and apparently dates from the 12^th century.

The small chapel on the south side of the nave has plain interlacing mullions thought to be not later than 1260 in date. It is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, like its ‘mother’ church, Dorchester Abbey.

The font is a plain stone one of 13^th century date; it stands on two round steps in the centre of the west end.

Restoration in 1865 opened up the roof to span both nave and aisles, and the south door was rebuilt at the same time. The architect was Henry Woodyer and the cost was £1,600.

Further repairs and improvements were carried out between 1873 and 1889: windows of stained glass, by Messrs. Horwood of Selwood, Somerset, were inserted in the east window and elsewhere. One is in memory of the Revd. Thomas Fry, benefactor of the church, who died 1873. The head of the medieval churchyard cross was restored, the lych-gate was built and a sunk fence to the churchyard was created.

 

Sources:

Victoria County History - Toot Baldon

Veronica Sandilands