 The Church of St. Aldhelm overlooks Lower Belchalwell from a low hill to the north west to the village. The Church has some of the oldest building structure still standing in the area, and portions around the Main doorway and south west facing side are believed to date from circa 1190. Significant rebuilding and modifications have been carried at at several times, notably in the 15th and late 19th centuries.
Unusually for churches of this period, the alignment is slightly off the normal east - west, though only by some 18 degrees. Explanations for this include that the church was built aligned with the sunrise at midsummer (this is unlikely, as the offset of sunrise from east would be much greater at midsummer, and if the church were aligned to the rising sun, the foundations would have been laid out in mid April or the end of August), that the church is aligned with a previous monument on the site, now gone, (possible, but hard to show without extensive archeological works), and it is also said by some that the church aligns with Stonehenge (it doesn't), and other points of significance, and could be on a ley line.
It is not known if a Saxon church existed on the site, though the above would suggest the possibility. More support is given to this idea by noting that Aldhelm was the first Bishop of Sherborne, founding it's Abbey Church in 703. He is known to have travelled his diocese, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that he visited Belchalwell and inspired the building of a church.
The oldest existing part of the church is from circa. 1190, and is restricted to the southern doorway and some of the surrounding walls.
Over the centuries the church has gone through three distinct phases of building and restoration. The Nave originates from the 12th century, the south doorway and the wall to the left of the porch is from that time and built of flint and rubble, some of which is visible where the more recent rendering has broken away. After the Black death came to North Dorset in 1348 and then the plague in 1361 the church fell into decay, along with many properties.
During the early part of the 15th century when the Lords Fitzhugh were patrons, extensive rebuilding was carried out, including the adding of the Chancel, South Tower and North Aisle and extensive rebuilding of the Nave. The North Aisle may have been the Fitzhugh family chapel and there are signs that the aisle was partitioned from the Nave by a carved wooden screen. Further work was carried out towards around the end of the 15th century, which could have included the Hagioscope and the Rood Screen.
Unfortunately, many records relating to St Aldhelms Church and the parish have been lost. A good deal were destroyed in the Great Fire of Blandford in 1731. A fire at the Rectory in Ibberton in the 19th century destroyed further records.
At the beginning of the 17th century the church had a close call with its destiny. At this time the manor passed from Winifred to the Frekes of Shroton. Sir Thomas Freke pulled down Shroton church in 1610 and rebuilt it in a simpler, puritan style. At St. Aldhelms, he may have been responsible for the desecration of the Fitzhugh Chapel, the removal of the Rood and screen, the screen of the North Chapel, and the porch. It is thought he died before any further 'damage' could be done.
Source: M. F. Cox
In 1871 the church was re-floored and re-seated, and a gallery at the back of the church, mainly used by musicians, was removed. Apparently no vaults or burials were found inside the church at this time, though signs of memorials, notably one to Merry Bugg, son of John Bugg, suggest otherwise.
Source: Violet Lodder and M. F. Cox
The side walls of the chancel were rebuilt in 1892 at the time of the Rev. G. A. Wix, being underpinned with Lillington Stone. The east wall was built with old stone work inside, with new coursed work of Doulting stone and snapped flints on the exterior It was at Doulting St Aldhelm died in 709). At the same time the east window was lowered to compensate for the lower position of the altar table. A new roof was also fitted to the Chancel, the work being carried out by a local carpenter G. Lodder, who is reputed to have said with pride "a poor country carpenter did it". The Chancel walls were plastered, and it was probably at this time that the memorial to William Combe was covered over.
Source: Violet Lodder
 In 1901 the Nave and the Aisle of the church were restored at a cost of £400. The architect was C. E. Ponting, Esquire, of Marlborough, and the contractors were Messrs. Norman and Sons, of Blandford. The main items included the entire rebuilding of the Aisle, and the restoration of the arcading, which was 18 inches out of perpendicular from top to bottom. The walls of the Aisle had no foundation, and they had to be dug to a depth of 5 feet. The windows and blocked North doorway were accurately restored, and all of the old stone reused in the rebuilding. New open roofs to Nave and Aisle were constructed of unplaned pine. A new window was placed in the west end of the Nave. New pitch pine sittings were provided throughout, and the floors were re laid.
The church was reopened by John, Bishop of Salisbury, on the 28th September 1901.
Source: Violet Lodder
The Tower and Porch were restored in 1912. Though there was no official reopening, the Bishop of Salisbury, F. E. Ridgeway, preached at the service of November 27th.
The works included a new floor to the bell chamber, roof to the porch, repair of the porch walls and draining of the roofs at a cost of £50.00. The contractor was a Mr Rawles of Okeford Fitzpaine, and the Rector, the Rev. L. S. Plowman, drew the plans and superintended the works.
Extension of the Church Yard, 1932.
"Belchalwell Church is a plain stone building, but has a wonderful Norman Porch at the South Entrance which is in an excellent state of preservation. Extensive repairs have had to be carried out on the structure at various times, but this fine old porch has been carefully preserved. There are probably not more than two or three like it in the country. The square embattled tower on the southern side of the building is also an interesting feature.
When the need for further burial accommodation was placed before the Lord of the Manor (Captain G. Pitt-Rivers), he kindly gave the land, and as a result an addition of approximately a quarter of an acre has been enclosed on the southern side of the church. The necessary work of fencing has been carried out by local subscriptions and the assistance of diocesan funds. When the new piece of land was consecrated onSunday morning, the parishioners had the satisfaction of knowing that the cost of the enlargement had been wholly met. One thing is certain. With the declining population the church yard will serve the parishioners for many years to come.
The unusual morning service was held at 11am. The Rector, the Rev. H.T.Blake of Ibberton and Belchalwell conducted the service, and Canon Bower of Child Okeford read the lesson. The consecration followed immediately after Matins. Mr G Lodder, one of the Church Wardens, advanced to the centre of the church, i.e. the Chancel, where he read a petition for consecration to the Bishop of Salisbury. His Lordship indicated his readiness to proceed, and a procession was formed. Headed by the Church Wardens, Messrs. G Lodder and O Harding, the Bishop, clergy, choir and congregation walked round the new ground of the churchyard reciting the appropriate liturgy. Back in church the Bishop signed the sentence of consecration, and after it had been witnessed by the Rector and clergy the Rector read it's terms."
Source: Western Gazette, March 25th 1932
Historic Monuments in the County of Dorset - Volume III - Central - Part 2
Royal Commission for Historical Monuments
St Aldhelm's Church, Belchalwell
Architectural Description - The Chancel (19 1/3 ft. by 13 ft.) has an E. wall of banded flint and ashlar, rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, with a restored 15th century window of three cinquefoil ogee-headed lights with vertical tracery in a two centred head, casement-moulded inside and out. The N. wall is of coursed rubble and has two late 15th-century square-headed windows, each of two cinquefoil with blind spandrels under a hollow -chamfered label with square stops. The S. wall has similar windows flanking a doorway with a chamfered segmented-pointed head, continuous jambs and run-out stops. The western window has a broad splay to accommodate a squint from the tower; the E. end of the squint has a rough four-centred head. There is no chancel arch. The Nave (34ft. by 13 3/4ft.) has on the N. side a late 15th-century arcade of three bays with high four-centred heads, each of two orders, the inner order ogee-moulded, the outer order a wide hollow-chamfer. The arches spring from piers and responds with attached three-quarter shafts, moulded capitals and bases of corresponding outline, the later with broach spurs. The S. wall has high up at the E. end, an old opening to a former rood-loft with a roughly chamfered segmental head: to the W. is the tower arch. The South doorway has two orders: a segmental-pointed tympanum arch with a roll-moulded edge, and a two-centred outer arch with chevron voussoirs; the label has undercut dog-tooth and nail-head enrichment and terminated in head-stops. The orders spring from a moulded abaci which surmount chamfered responds for the inner order and three-quarter shafts with leaf capitals for the outer order. The Nave wall to the W. of the doorway is probably of 12th century, with flint and rubble masonry lightly skimmed with plaster; a rough rectangular corbel stone near the eaves is perhaps in situ. The S.W. quoins and the W. wall of the nave are largely of 19th century but the central W. buttress incorporates 15th-century material. The North Aisle (31 1/3ft. by 8ft.) has a late 15th-century E. window of three lights, with four-centred heads and vertical tracery in a casement-moulded segmental-headed surround. The rebuilt N. wall has two restored and reset 15th-century square-headed two-light windows flanking a blocked doorway with a chamfered four-centred head and continuous jambs. The gabled W. wall has been rebuilt.
The South Tower (9 1/2 ft. by 9 1/4ft.) is of the late 15th century and has walls of greensand ashlar in two main stages, with a moulded plinth, a hollow-chamfered intermediate string-course and embattled parapet with a moulded coping and a moulded string-course. Three-stage diagonal buttresses occur at each corner, those on the N. truncated in the lower part by the nave: above them are corner standards with moulded bases and grotesque gargoyles at the intersection of the parapet string-course. The octagonal vice turret is in the N. part of the E. side and originally served the rood-loft as well as the ringing chamber; it terminates, a little above the intermediate string-course, in a weathered stone roof with a gargoyle finial. Internally, the vice doorway has a hollow-chamfered four-centred head, continuous jambs and broach stops; adjacent on the N. is the W. end of the blocked squint to the chancel. To the S. of the vice, the lower stage of the E. wall of the tower has a window of two cinquefoil-headed lights in an ogee-moulded square-headed surround with a label. The tower arch, in the N. wall, is two-centred and has a panelled soffit and responds, with trefoil-headed panels and hollow-chamfered ribs terminating at the moulded bases; the soffits and responds are outlined with wave mouldings. In the S. wall of the tower is a large window with a casement-moulded two-centred head under a hollow-chamfered label with carved head-stops; in it's present form it is probably of the 18th century but the internal splays and the hollow-chamfered rear arch are of the 15th century. In the upper stage the E., S. and W. faces of the tower have square-headed belfry windows of two cinquefoil lights in casement-moulded surrounds under square labels. The N. face has a similar opening but of one light. The South Porch (7 1/2ft. by 8 1/2 ft.) has a lean-to roof against the W. side of the tower. At the S.W. corner is a small diagonal buttress of one stage with a weathered head. The S. archway is two-centred, with an ogee roll-moulding flanked inside and out by wide wave-mouldings; the roll-moulding rises from attached shafts, the wave-mouldings are continuous on the responds. The W. wall has a small loop. Inside, the porch has stone wall-benches to E. and W.
The Roofs are largely modern but the chancel retains some lengths of medieval ogee-moulded wall-plate; part of one truss may also be old.
Fittings - Bell: inscribed 'James Wells Aldbourn Wilts Fecit 1809'. Communion Table: of oak with turned legs, moulded and enriched top rail and plain bottom rail, 17th century, with modern extensions at each end and modern board. Door: To tower vice, with three beaded vertical oak planks, shaped iron strap-hinges and iron studs, probably 17th century. Graffiti: On lead roof of tower, mid 18th century and later.
Monument and Floor-slab. Monument: In churchyard, two paces from S. porch, table-tomb with moulded top, illegible inscription, 17th or 18th century. Floor-slab: In N. aisle, near centre of arcade, of Merry Bugg…, Purbeck marble slab with worn inscription. Niche: In N. aisle, on N. side of the E. respond of arcade, with chamfered four-centred head and continuous jambs, 15th century. Painting: On W. arch of arcade, scroll-work in red, mouldings in red and yellow. Plate: includes silver cup with hallmark 1765 and inscription of 1766. Pulpit: of panelled oak in three heights on four sides of hexagonal plan; top height with arabesque, lower heights of paired plain panels with moulded stiles and rails, 17th century; base and cornice mouldings modern. Sundial: On the S.W. buttress of tower, square stone dial with iron gnomon: dial with sun face and rays in low relief, perhaps 18th century.
Rectors of St. Aldhelms Church, Belchalwell
| 2000 | Diana Jones | | 1994 - 2000 | Stanley Gill | | 1990 - 1994 | Interregnum | | 1969 - 1990 | Micheal James Pomeroy | | 1960 - 1969 | Ronald Flower Martyn, BA | | 1952 - 1960 | Montague Clare Callis BA | | 1928 - 1952 | Henry T Blake | | 1899 - 1928 | Lionel S Plowman | | 1882 - 1899 | Joseph A Wix | | 1862 - 1882 | John Martin MA | | 1817 - 1862 | John Bastard BA | | 1812 - 1817 | John Warton | | 1771 - 1771 | Samuel Loggan MA | | 1771 - 1812 | Richard Colmer Rogers | | 1731 | John Vivers MA | | 1692 | John Freke BA | | 1668 | Robert More | | 1659 | Robert More | | 1629 - 1650 | William Coombe MA | | 1560 | William Coombe | | 1548 - 1552 | Thomas Vyall | | 1542 | John Tolderfelde | | 1496 | John Jolyffe MA | | 1480 | William Ladestre | | 1472 | John Cowlton | | 1469 | William (or John) Cowlton | | 1468 | Robert Smith | | 1463 - 1464 | Thomas Morys | | 1447 - 1448 | John Smith | | 1440 | William Bellerby | | 1412 | John Wyche | | 1405 - 1412 | John Mallerby | | 1402 | William Schirvard | | 1389 | John R Kentyff | | 1387 - 1389 | William de Walton (or Dalton) | | 1382 - 1383 | John de Langwath or Longworth | | 1381 | Walter Kelmescot | | 1381 - 1382 | Peter Hornley | | 1381 - 1381 | John Bellerby | | 1361 - 1381 | R. Hatfield | | 1347 | John de Sherryngton | | 1346 - 1347 | Thomas de Bokkebrok | | 1342 - 1343 | Thomas ad Fontem | | 1327 - 1328 | Reginald Brin (or Brien) | | 1324 | John de Lavarum | | 1322 - 1324 | Nicolas Le Marishal | | 1307 - 1322 | Robert de Fauconberg | | 1295 | Herbert de St Quintin |
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