Chetnole

29 CHETNOLE (D.c.)

(O.S. 6 in. XXI, N.E.)

Chetnole is a small parish and village 6 m. S.S.W. of Sherborne.

Ecclesiastical

(1) Parish Church of St. Peter, formerly a chapel of Yetminster, stands in the village. The walls are of local squared rubble with freestone dressings; the roofs are covered with stone slates and lead. The Nave was built or rebuilt late in the 13th century. The West Tower was added early in the 15th century, but is said to have been rebuilt in 1580. The South Porch was added in the 16th or 17th century. The church was restored in 1860–5, when the Chancel was rebuilt and the North Aisle and arcade added. There was a further restoration in 1897.

Architectural Description—The Nave (41¾ ft. by 18¼ ft.) has a modern N. arcade. In the S. wall are three windows the two easternmost of late 15th-century date and of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and partly restored labels with returned stops; the westernmost window is a late 13th-century lancet-light; the recut late 13th-century S. doorway has chamfered jambs and two-centred head.

The North Aisle is modern, but reset in the E. wall is a 15th-century window of three cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and label with returned stops.

The West Tower (9¼ ft. square) is of early 15th-century date and of two stages with an embattled parapet, pinnacles and large gargoyles. The tower-arch is two-centred and of two moulded orders. The inner order of the responds has a shaft with a foliated capital and moulded base. The angle-buttresses on the E. side rest on corbelling and carved figure-corbels below the nave roof. The W. window is of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a restored two-centred head with a label; the W. doorway has moulded jambs, two-centred arch and label. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of two trefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a label.

The South Porch has a 16th or 17th-century outer entrance, with chamfered jambs and round arch.

The Roof of the nave is of late 15th-century date and of barrel-form; it is of seven bays each of four panels with moulded ribs and wall-plates with carved paterae; there are foliage-bosses, some modern, at the intersections; the roof has been lowered and the boarding is modern.

Fittings—Bells: three; 1st and 2nd by a London founder, probably William Chamberlain, late 14th-century and inscribed respectively, "Wox Augustinae sonet in aure Dei" and "Sancte Laurenti ora pro nobis". Piscina: In nave—in S. wall, recess with two-centred head, probably piscina. Seating: In chancel— two coffin-stools with turned legs, 17th-century.

Secular

(2) Chetnole House (Plate 109), 100 yards N.E. of the church, is of two storeys with basement and attics; the walls are of brick in Flemish bond, partly cementrendered, with some freestone dressings and the roofs are slate-covered. The house was built about 1760 and additions were made to both E. and W. ends later; in all probability the form of the roof was altered early in the 19th century. There are modern bay-windows to the south and east. The main, N., elevation of the original building is of symmetrical design with a doorway in the middle flanked by two plain rectangular windows on either side, and five windows almost square on the first floor; it has a plain stone plinth, a moulded brick string at first floor-level, brick quoins and a dentil-cornice. The doorway and semicircular fanlight have a stone surround consisting of two three-quarter Roman Doric columns with entablature-blocks and pedimental cornice. On the S. front, the doorway has a moulded eared architrave with pulvinated frieze and pediment; the two-light windows have moulded architraves and there is a round-headed single-light window over the doorway. The interior retains several original features: the staircase with turned balusters and moulded rail and a number of doorways with moulded architraves and dentil-cornices. The N.E. room has a fireplace and overmantel flanked by superimposed Roman Doric columns supporting a curved broken pediment, and on either side is a recess framed by free-standing Roman Doric columns with antae, entablature with pulvinated frieze and segmental arch with key-block; there is an enriched modillion-cornice round the room and a plain panelled ceiling. The kitchen contains a fireplace with pedimented overmantel, and several of the rooms have dentil-cornices.

The Stables, S.W. of the house, are of the same date, with the exception of the roof which has been rebuilt and tiled and a modern addition on the S. The middle bays on the E. and W. are recessed, and on the E. the angles of the building have rusticated brick quoins; the openings have round arches with rusticated brick voussoirs.

Monuments (3–13)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are thatched or covered with modern materials. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams and original fireplaces.

(3) Manor Farm, house 225 yards N. of the church, was built early in the 18th century and retains some of its original stone-mullioned windows.

(4) Cottage, two tenements 35 yards N.E. of (3), retains its original stone-mullioned windows, those of the lower range with moulded labels.

(5) Humbers, house 320 yards N.N.E. of the church, has a stone panel with the date 1592. Inside the building is part of a panelled oak partition or screen, and one fireplace has a reused moulded oak lintel of late mediæval date.

(6) Street Farm, house opposite and N.W. of (5), has a later addition on the E. Many of the stonemullioned windows remain, some with moulded labels.

(7) Cottage, now Gospel Room, on the W. side of the road 520 yards N.N.W. of the church.

(8) Cottage, 40 yards S.W. of the church, with walls of brick in Flemish bond, is initialled and dated M.B. 1759; there is a modern N. addition. The wood-framed windows are of two and three lights.

(9) Nappers, house 220 yards S. of the church, has walls of ashlar and roofs covered with slates. It was built early in the 19th century. The main W. front is divided into three bays by flat pilasters, the eaves have a wide projection and the tripartite windows on the ground floor are of Venetian-window shape set in shallow round-headed sinkings. The porch has Doric columns and entablature.

(10) Chetnole Mill, about 250 yards S.E. of the church, has walls of ashlar. It is a mid 18th-century building with later additions. The entrance doorway and windows on the ground floor have moulded architraves and keystones; the first-floor windows are round-headed.

(11) House, on the S. side of a lane 480 yards S. of the church, was built in the 16th century and later extended or rebuilt at each end. A stone panel on the S. front bears the date 1708. Some stone-mullioned windows with labels remain on the ground-floor. Inside the building, the middle room has original moulded ceiling-beams forming eight panels.

(12) Cottage, 100 yards E. of (11), was built in the 16th century and has a 17th-century extension on the W. The middle room has an original ceiling with moulded beams forming eight panels; on the E. side of the room is an original panelled partition with chamfered muntins and head and a doorway with a shouldered head; the fireplace has a moulded bressummer. The W. room has a later panelled partition, in which is a doorway with a four-centred head. On the first floor is another panelled partition.

(13) Chetnole Farm, house ½ m. S. of the church, retains one stone-mullioned window. On the S. gable are the initials and date T.D. 1689. Inside the building, the fireplace in the middle room has moulded stone jambs and square head; in the angle of the chimney-breast is cut a trefoil-headed niche. The Barn, S. of the house, has a roof of collar-beam type and of modified crutch-construction.