Burton, Long

18 BURTON, LONG (E.b.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XII, N.W. ^(b)XII, S.W.)

Long Burton is a parish and village 3 m. S. of Sherborne. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

^a(1) Parish Church of St. James, formerly a chapel of Sherborne, stands in the village. The walls are of local rubble with freestone dressings; the roofs are tiled. Reused fragments indicate the existence of a 12th-century church but the earliest part of the existing building is the mid 13th-century West Tower. The Chancel and probably also the Nave were rebuilt in the 15th century and the South Porch added. The North Chapel is an early 17th-century addition built by Leweston Fitzjames. The church was restored in 1873 when the N. arcade was built and the North Aisle added.

The Fitzjames monuments and the screens are noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (17¼ ft. by 11½ ft.) has a 15th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and label with head-stops. In the N. wall is an early 17th-century arcade of two bays with moulded semi-circular arches continued on the pier and responds, but interrupted by plain imposts and key-blocks. In the S. wall are three 15th-century windows; two are of two cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and label with head-stops; the middle window is of one trefoiled light with moulded reveals and square head; the doorway below it has moulded jambs and three-centred head. The 15th-century chancel-arch is moulded and two-centred; the responds have each two attached shafts with moulded capitals and chamfered bases; the reveals and soffit of the arch have a single row of trefoil-headed panels.

The North Chapel (14 ft. by 8 ft.) is of early 17th-century date. The E. window is of three four-centred lights in a square head with a label. In the N. wall is a blocked similar window and in the W. wall is a modern squint from the N. aisle.

The Nave (44 ft. by 17½ ft.) has a modern N. arcade. In the S. wall are two 15th-century windows both of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded and shafted reveals and label with returned stops; the 15th-century S. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch.

The West Tower (9 ft. square) is of mid 13th-century date and of three stages with a 15th-century upper part and embattled parapet with gargoyles. The 13th-century tower-arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous and the inner springing from short corbel-shafts with moulded capitals and terminals. The partly restored late 14th-century W. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch. The second stage has, in the N., S. and W. faces, a 13th-century lancet-window with a trefoiled rear-arch. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a 16th or 17th-century window of two square-headed lights.

The South Porch is of the 15th century and has a moulded and two-centred outer archway; the similarly moulded responds have central moulded capitals with carved paterae; the moulded label has head-stops of a man and a lion. In the W. wall is a window of one square-headed light.

Fittings—Bells: four; 1st by T. Knight of Closworth, 1701; 2nd and 3rd by Thomas Bilbie, 1764; 4th from the Salisbury foundry, early 16th century and inscribed " Sit nomen Domine be[nedict]um." Brass: In nave—on S. wall, to Nathaniel Fairecloughe, M.A., rector of Stalbridge, 1656, inscription-plate in ornamental stone frame. Chest: In nave—with panelled front and ends, three locks, 17th-century. Clock: In N. chapel, parts of mechanism in iron framework, 16th or 17th-century. Communion Table: with turned legs and enriched top rails and stretchers, early 17th-century. Font: octagonal bowl with quatre-foiled panel and patera on each face, moulded underside, plain stem and moulded base, 15th-century. Monuments and Floor-slab. Monuments: In N. chapel— against N. wall, (1) to Sir John Fitzjames, 1625, and Joan (Trenchard), his wife, 1612, erected by Leweston Fitzjames, their son, painted stone monument (Plate 86) consisting of table-tomb, effigies and canopy; table-tomb with bones, spade and pickaxe below slab, recumbent figures of man in armour, head on book, and of wife in ruff, gown and cloak, canopy supported on six Corinthian columns with entablature, achievement, two cartouches and three shields-of-arms; further W., (2) to Thomas Winston, 1609, his son Sir Henry Winston, 1609–10, and Dionise (Bond), his wife, 1609–10, erected by Eleonor Fitzjames, their daughter, similar monument (Plate 86) to (1), but with recumbent figure of man in armour with tabard-of-arms under slab of table-tomb, effigy of man in armour above, with helmet and visor, and woman as on other tomb, achievement, two cartouches and four shields-of-arms. In nave—on S. wall, (3) to Charles Cozens, 1835, and Edith Brooke Cozens his wife, 1862, black and white marble wall-monument with achievement-of-arms. Floor-slab: In chancel—to Sir John Fitzjames, 1670, and Margaret (Stephens), his wife, 1685, with achievement and shield-of-arms. Plate: includes a cup of 1616 with a band of engraved ornament round the bowl. Royal Arms: In nave—on S. wall, Stuart arms on wooden panel with enriched frame and initials and date C.R. 1662. Screens: two, formerly in arcade of N. chapel, one now replaced in W. arch of this arcade, the other reset under tower-arch; both generally similar in design and of two bays with enriched posts and head to open upper panels, panels fitted with iron uprights continued above the head, close lower panels with enriched entablature and panels with radiating gadroon-ornament, early 17th-century. Sundial: On S.E. buttress of nave—stone cut with scratch-dial and two crosses. Miscellanea: Incorporated in E. wall of N. aisle—12th-century stone with cheveron-ornament. Reset in tower—two weathered head-corbels. In chancel—loose on sill of E. window, two carved wooden angels holding shields, 15th-century, probably from former roof.

Secular

^a(2) Burton House, ½ m. N. of the church, is a modern building incorporating a considerable quantity of old materials and fittings from demolished buildings in the neighbourhood. The S. doorway, some mullioned windows, stone fireplaces, ceiling-beams and panelling came from the Old Court Farm at Batcombe. Other stonework details came from Yetminster, Stoke-sub-Hambdon, Martock, Tintinhull, etc. The sundial, dated 1700, came from Pennard Hill and a fire-back of 1606 from Wootton Glanville. In the hall is some early 16th-century linen-fold panelling from Sherborne. There is also much 17th-century panelling.

^a(3) Leweston Farm, house over ¾ m. N.W. of the church, has been rebuilt but incorporates some older material. Above the entrance is a panel with a shield-of-arms of Fitzjames. Inside the building is an early 18th-century staircase with cut strings and a 17th-century panelled door with a semi-circular fluted panel in the head. The Barn, E. of the house, is of five bays and of late 17th or early 18th-century date. In the S.W. face are six stone ventilators with pierced trellispattern. In the N. entrance is a piece of quatre-foiled panelling reused.

Monuments (4–14)

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

^a(4) Cottage, on W. side of road 250 yards N. of the church, was built about 1700. It retains the original heavy wood-framed windows of three lights.

^a(5) Spring House, about 300 yards N.W. of the church.

^a(6) Cottage, 30 yards S.W. of (5).

^a(7) Cottage, on the W. side of the road, 160 yards N.N.W. of the church.

^a(8) Cottage, on E. side of road 90 yards N. of the church. It has a central chimney stack.

^a(9) Rose and Crown Inn, on the E. side of the road 50 yards N.W. of the church, has been much altered.

^a(10) Cottage, at Long Burton Farm 150 yards S. of the church, is now used as a dairy.

^a(11) Cottage, 50 yards S. of (10), was built early in the 18th century.

^a(12) Old Dairy House, opposite (11), retains some original stone-mullioned windows with labels, including a bay-window of four lights in front and one on each return. Inside the building is an original stone fireplace with moulded jambs and square head.

^b(13) Cottage, on the E. side of the road 470 yards S. of the church.

^b(14) Manor Farm, house on the W. side of the road 50 yards S.W. of (13), has been extended in the 18th century. It contains a reset panelled partition.