St Nicholas, Worth Matravers is dated by Simon Jenkins (2000, p.166) as "The structure is Norman", whilst later on (p.167) he states "The interior, though much restored, retains the proportions of the 12th century structure." I was initially misled by these statements, into only seeing the Norman features, and it was only just before we were going to leave, did we walk round the whole building. It was thus with some surprise that I then saw in the south nave wall, the clear outline of a typical saxon door, which has been subsequently filled in with a more regular ashlar stone. For comparison I show a saxon doorway from St. Mary's Deerhurst, Gloucestershire (Jenkins, 2000, p.211). This prompted me to have a closer look at the overall structure, and immediately I saw very similar, if not identical features to those seen in St. Nicholas, Studland. That is, the almost total external structure is made up of a rubble type construction. Only the local areas round inserted doors and buttresses, show regular well cut and squared ashlar. It is obvious to me, that almost the whole existing outline structure is Saxon and that the Normans merely retrofitted a new interior, strengthened it with buttresses, inserted new doors and added a new roof, tied to an ashlar course with gargoyle decorated corbels. I rather wishfully thought I had made an original discovery, until I got home and read the account by W.M. Hardy (1891) and found that I had been pre-empted by more than a century!
The saxon doorway, note the rubble like nature of much of the wall, and the more regular fill of the door and the buttress on the right and around the windows, particularly the inserted square window. Most of the lighting in the church comes from narrow slit windows, one of which is seen here at the top right. These again look like original saxon, rather than norman features, although again retrofitted with new jambs and sills, particularly round the larger internal splayed openings, visible below.
View towards the chancel, showing the beautiful chancel arch, with it's double row of sharply incised dog-tooth decoration, as well as two internally splayed slit windows.
View of the tower, showing it's largely rubble type construction, strengthened by the normans with buttresses and a new top with an ashlar layer with corbels. Note also the re-lined narrow slit window on the right.
View of the tower and porch. Note particularly the buttress like structure extending up the wall above the opening for the porch/door, newly cut into the saxon wall. This is more clearly visible in the opposite north door, illustrated below.
View of the inside the porch, showing the very eroded sculpture over the door lintel. This is much more eroded than the norman dog-tooth decorated arch, which has been protected by the porch. There is a local folk tale that this and other sculpture were brought from an old dissolved monastery elsewhere. This sculpture must have been outside for some time, either before the construction of the norman doorway, and thus is probably of saxon age, or indeed has been placed there after having been moved from elsewhere. Jenkin's (p.166-167) is of the opinion that it shows the Coronation of the Virgin, a theme which did not appear in Europe until the end of the 12th century. However, I have done a considerable amount of image enhancement to this picture; utilising curve manipulation, edge enhancement, contrast adjustment and minor sharpening. As a result figures are now clearly present, which could not really be seen at the time of photography. What is also very clear is that the broken centre piece of the sculpture is not the original. The bottom pediment is thicker than either side, and the surface appears totally unworked and less weathered than the other two pieces. My guess would be that it was reassembled back to front. In any case there is no evidence of a 'Virgin', whatever the existing outline of new cement might suggest. It is my opinion that this sculpture is undoubtedly Saxon in origin, and at some time in the future needs a more sensitive restoration.
The north door leading onto the grave yard. This was newly cut by the normans, into what they recognised as being a rather weak, saxon rubble wall. This accounts for their construction of the rather curious tuning fork shaped buttress, converging on a single wider, vertical buttress at the top. This is a similar shape to that visible above the porch, see above.
View from the inside, of the north doorway, showing it's typical round arched norman shape.
Gargoyles along the west end of the south side. These are highly weathered. Those on the north side are better protected from the weather, and thus sharper, see below.
Gargoyles from the north side. These are very simply carved. This, and the photo below, clearly show the junction of this regular layer, with the saxon rubble below. These are very similar photos to those of St Nicholas at Studland.
Gargoyles from the north side. These are very simply carved faces, with one corbel totally untouched - a sign of norman cost cutting?
Inside the church, two early cross slabs and below an interesting three facetted face
All images copyright Dr. Colin F. Parsons, June 2002
