Canford Magna

Nave of late Saxon minster church, now chancel of aisled nave and tower added by Augustinian Canons of Bradenstoke Priory c1200.

S chancel chapel and S chancel aisle remodelled C14.

Nave aisles and other alterations made C15.

Coursed limestone and carstone rubble with plain-tile roofs.

2-light bell-chamber openings with attached shafts outermost and central shaft with simple carved capitals and roll-moulded round-arched heads within single, chamfered round-headed arch, except to S side where window head has been lost.

Late Saxon W end has small 1-light windows to aisles with chamfered, round-arched heads.

INTERIOR: chancel, the former nave of Saxon minster, has original round-headed archways to E end to N and S sides with imposts, formerly leading to porticus.

Chancel has C19 tiled floors, mosaic decoration to E wall by Salviati with large angels either side of window, and carved oak choir stalls with lion ends.

FITTINGS: Purbeck marble font has octagonal bowl with 2 shallow trefoil-headed panels to each face on octagonal stem and 8 subsidiary circular shafts and octagonal base.

Hanoverian Royal Arms in carved and painted wood in S aisle.

C19 stained-glass E window and other C19 stained-glass windows.

MEMORIALS: brass inscription plate to Richard Cheke d.1502.

Wall monument to Hendry Constantine of Merley "buried in this aisle with many others of the name and family" d.1613 aged 28 erected 1651 by his widow Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Evelyn of Surrey, "in the 38th year of her widowhood"

Wall monument to Richard Lloyd AM Rector of Winterbourn Selston d.1732

3 fine wall monuments by Bacon with low relief sculpture in statuary marble on veined grey marble grounds, to Samuel Martin d.1788 with profile portrait head in medallion, to Henrietta Mary Wilkie, daughter of James and Sarah Wilkie of Fouldon Berwicks d.1790 with mourning female and draped urn with coat of arms, and to Catherin Willett d.1798 with female figure leaning her left elbow on open book on top of classical altar with the Lamb in low relief, a censer at her feet and above, a circlet of flowers in a sunburst framing the symbol of Eternity.

Wall monument to Rev. Robert Henning d.1798 and Mary his wife of grey and white marble with Latin inscription and double urns signed H Rouw London.

Other early C19 marble wall monuments by a variety of hands and later C19 wall monuments including one to land agent of Canford estate.

A very fine and interesting church, the late Saxon work being of major importance. (RCHME: County of Dorset (South East): London: 1970-: 192-195