Mosterton

68 MOSTERTON (B.c.)

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

Mosterton is a small parish and village 4 m. N.W. of Beaminster.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1) Parish Church of St. Mary, formerly a chapel of South Perrott, stands in the village. The walls are of ashlar and the roofs are tile-covered. It was entirely rebuilt, on a new site, in 1833, and consists of Chancel, Nave, W. Tower and N. Porch. The wall openings have two-centred heads, most of the windows being of wide lancet form. Inside, across the W. end of the nave, is a gallery, carried on four fluted columns, with panelled front and painted inscription recording the rebuilding; the roofs have been ceiled. The church contains some fittings from the older building.

Fittings—Bell: one, dated 1617 or 1627. Brass: S. of the church, set in a slab, to Abraham Hull, 1838, Joseph George Hull, 1840, and with later inscriptions. Font: plain octagonal bowl with hollow-chamfered lower edge, cylindrical stem, mediæval, base modern. Plate: includes a cup and cover-paten (Plate 138), the former with a baluster-stem, repoussé ornament and an inscription with the date 1714.

Secular

Monuments (2–8)

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. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.

^b(2) Cottage, on the W. side of the road, 80 yards N. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century. It retains its original stone-mullioned windows and doorway with moulded jambs and square head.

^b(3) Woodcock's Farm, house 220 yards N. of the church, was built c. 1700. There are two and three-light stone-mullioned windows with moulded architraves.

^b(4) Cottage, two tenements, on the W. side of a lane, 200 yards N.N.E. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century and retains some original stone windows.

^b(5) House, 110 yards N.E. of the church, has ashlar dressings. The E. wing was built early in the 18th century, to which additions were made c. 1750. The original building has two and three-light windows.

^b(6) New Inn, opposite the church, retains its original stone-mullioned windows and a doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head. The porch bears the initials and date A. and A.H. 1748.

^b(7) Mosterton Mill, cottage forming the N. end of a range of buildings, 220 yards S. of the church, retains some original stone-mullioned windows. The roofs are slate-covered.

^a(8) Chapel Court, house ½ m. N. of the church, is of ashlar partly cement-rendered. It was built early in the 18th century. The two and three-light stone windows have moulded architraves.