All Saints Chalbury

All Saints is one of the most delightful little churches in Dorset and benefits from an elevated position where the views can be really magnificent.  It is a small whitewashed building under a tiled roof with the chancel and part of the nave reaching back to C13.  The rest is C18 and the curved tops to the south windows are typical.  There is a bellcote.

Inside is an entirely unspoiled C18 interior complete with box pews, a three-decker pulpit and musicians' gallery, which now houses the organ.  In the chancel there is a long bench on the south side, where once, the servants from the rectory would have sat and opposite, but raised up, is another, once  reserved for the Earl of Pembroke should he be minded to visit from Wilton.  The boxes in the nave were traditionally used by individual farms in the parish. The font is a good C18 example.

In 1974, the altar rails were presented by the Dorset Historic Churches Trust as a tribute to Sir Owen Morshead, the first Chairman of the Trust.

This is a really splendid little building, which deserves to be on any list of churches to visit while in Dorset.

 The Trust gratefully acknowledges images and text by Robin Adeney ©

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