Description
Broadwindsor, a village and a parish in Dorsetshire. The village stands 3 miles WNW of Beaminster, and 6 S of Crewkerne station on the L. & S.W.R., and has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Beaminster (R.S.O.) The parish includes also the tithings of Childhay, Dibberford, Drimpton, and Little Windsor. Acreage, 6303; population, 1105. The living is a vicarage, united with the perpetual curacy of Blackdown, in the diocese of Salisbury; net value, £76 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. The church is ancient, and has a tower; it was restored and almost rebuilt in 1868. There is also a Congregational chapel, and charities. Thomas Fuller, author of the " History of the Holy War,'' was vicar. The manufacture of sailcloth is carried on.
Parish Church
The church of St. John the Baptist is an ancient edifice of stone in the Norman, Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays with clerestory, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower containing a clock and 6 bells, 5 rehung and the 6th bell added in 1897: the north aisle is Early English and the south aisle Norman: the tower is chiefly Perpendicular: the pulpit is a beautiful and curious structure of wood, of polygonal form, with a double row of panels, divided by a horizontal roll enriched with arabesque work of carved foliage, and at the angles dividing the panels are Perpendicular crocketed buttresses: this is the original pulpit used by the celebrated Thomas Fuller: the font is Norman, with top of Purbeck marble: and there is a stained window, erected in 1900 by Mrs. Stevens, of Blagdon, as a memorial to members of her family: in 1868 the church was restored and almost entirely rebuilt by the late Major Charles H. Malan, 75th Regiment, at a cost of upwards of £4,000, to whom the stained east window is a memorial: there are 320 sittings. Mr Pinney gave some ground for the enlargement of the churchyard in 1878.
The parish register dates from the year 1558, but there are some previous entries which are much decayed. The registers have been rebound and carefully restored, where possible, by experts at the Record Office, London.
Villages, Hamlets, &c.
Childhay, a tithing in Broadwindsor parish, Dorsetshire, 3 1/2 miles WNW of Beaminster.
Drimpton, a tithing in Broadwindsor parish, Dorsetshire, 4 miles NW of Beaminster. It has a post office under Beaminster (R.S.O.); money order and telegraph office, Broadwindsor. There is a church, built in 1867.
