Our Churches
in the South Tarrant Valley
All Saints Church, Tarrant Keyneston
All Saints Church in Tarrant Keyeston Dorset sitting on the site we see today, is mostly Victorian having been a rebuild in 1853. It has largely replaced its successor built 1218 with other survivors of its past being the 15th century tower and one of the bells from around 1400.
The church is unusual – it’s aligned South East to North West rather than the more usual East to West alignment and its long list of rectors begins in 1317 although there’s even some record of previous incumbents in 1286
Famous architects lie at rest in its pretty churchyard. Here can be found the tomb of the Bastard family, responsible for many fine local houses and nearby Blandford Forum’s impressive Parish Church and Town Hall.
Bishop Poore, the builder of Salisbury Cathedral, is thought to have been buried in Tarrant Keyneston Church, in accordance with his wishes, within the Anchorites Cell in the earlier building. There’s some mystery around this though. The veracity of this claim is confused by reference to his burial also made in Tarrant Crawford’s St Mary’s Church. Visit the Tarrant Crawford webpages for more…..
ST MARY’S CHURCH, TARRANT CRAWFORD
A visit to this lovely little church in the hamlet of Tarrant Crawford is really worthwhile.
Built in 1120 and initially a private establishment, the church was adopted by the Cistercian Order in 1233 through the benefaction of Bishop Poores. Bishop Poores was born in Tarrant Crawford. He was the builder of Salisbury Cathedral and believed to be buried in the church in 1237.
St Mary’s has royal connections as the Cistercian Order was well supported by King Henry III and his sister, Joan. Rumour has it that Joan, who died in Essex in 1238, is buried somewhere in the precincts of the church in a gold coffin.
The faded remains of wall paintings depicting the life of St Margaret of Antioch, can still be seen and date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
The church is now under the auspices of The Church Conservation Trust and licensed for just 6 services a year. It has no heat or light so services are held only from May until September.
Further information about St Mary’s can be found on The Churches Conservation Trust via the following link:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-mary-tarrant-crawford.html
TARRANT RAWSTON
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY
Tarrant Rawston is a small parish. It covers less than 700 acres and is a narrow strip of ground extending from side to side of the Tarrant valley. Its equally small but lovely and unique Parish Church of St Mary dates back to the 14th century.
The South Chapel and South Porch were added in in the 16th century; the Chancel and North Chapel are of the 18th century while a gallery was inserted at the Western end of the nave, probably early in the 19th century.
There are churches in all the Tarrant valley villages, but Tarrant Rawston, the smallest of the eight, is unique in that its church is privately owned. Regular services ceased in 1940; it was declared redundant in the early 1970s and in 1973 the ecclesiastical commissioners sold it to John Cossins, owner of Rawston Manor Farm, which is next to the church – so close, in fact, that the little church has often been mistaken for a garden house belonging to the large manor house beside it. (source: Dorset Life Jan 2016).
For more information please visit:
https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2016/01/a-dorset-church-st-marys-tarrant-rawston/
TARRANT RUSHTON
The Parish Church of St Mary
Tarrant Rushton’s pretty Church dates from the 12th Century, built in the form of a cross with a Norman tower. Further additions took it to the building we see today. Not all were about its appearance though – there are two earthenware pots built into the Eastern face of the Chancel in 1458 to improve acoustics!
Look for a leper squint and scratch marks on the outside window surrounds, made by lepers from the nearby leper hospital whilst observing the services.
Sir Alan Cobham of Flight Refuelling is buried in the graveyard
Read more at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol4/pp112-11
