A Dorset gem saved by Thomas Hardy

St Andrew’s church, Grade 1 listed, is one of only four English single-celled Norman churches with an apse at the east end, rather than being cruciform in shape, and is the only one in Dorset. This small chapel, built of flint and stone, with a tiny weatherboarded bell turret, has barely been altered since it was built in Norman times. The inside is simple, bright and beautiful - with uneven limewashed walls and a flagged floor.

The early eighteenth-century oak fittings were provided by William Wake, then Archbishop of Canterbury, whose family lived nearby. The silvery-grey box pews, the pulpit, the screen, the communion rails and matching table, the font cover and the west door all date from this refurbishment. The wagon roof is unique in that it curves round the apse, with finely carved bosses where the oak ribs intersect.

The church was sympathetically restored in 1931, when The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings sold a collection of Thomas Hardy manuscripts to pay for repairs. During this work the gravestones were removed, leaving one unmarked tomb in the walled churchyard. The restoration work was supervised by the architect A R Powys, Secretary to the Society. It is thanks to him that this lovely church has survived in such a wonderfully unspoilt condition. A plaque in the church commemorates Powys' work at the church where he buried.

Winterborne Tomson is a hamlet between Winterborne Zelston and Anderson. It is understood locally, that its name derives from Thomas, a long-forgotten lord of the manor, and the Old English word ‘tun’ for estate. The earliest mention in records is in 942 AD, when King Edmund made a grant of 8 hides of land (961 acres) to Wynflaed, a rich Anglo-Saxon noblewoman.  She was the first British woman to leave a written will, now held in the British library, a fascinating testament to life in 10th century England. Her daughter, Saint Elgiva of Shaftesbury, married King Edmund I.

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