| Church of St Aldhelm, Belchalwell | |
| Location: | Belchalwell |
| Osgraw: | ST 792 097 |
| Coordinates: | 50.8872°N -19.796°W |
| Dedication: | Saint Aldhelm |
| Denomination: | Church of England |
| Diocese: | Diocese of Salisbury |
| Deanery: | Blackmore Vale Deanery[1] |
| Heritage Designation: | Grade II* |
| Designated Date: | 4 Oct 1960 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
St Aldhelm's Church is a Grade II* listed Anglican church in the village of Belchalwell, Dorset. It is in the ecclesiastical parish of Belchalwell, which is part of the Benefice of Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes.[1]
The church is situated on higher ground above Belchalwell village. The oldest parts of the church are of the 12th century; much of the building is of the 15th century.
There being no trace of the original dedication, after church records were lost in a fire in 1731, the church was dedicated in 1959 to Saint Aldhelm.[2]
Saint Aldhelm (c.639–709) was a notable scholar in Wessex in the time of King Ine; he was appointed the first Abbot of Malmesbury c.675, and became the first Bishop of Sherborne in 705.[3]
thumb|upright|left|The doorway in the south porch, showing the decorated Norman arch
The nave is the oldest surviving part of the church; the south wall dates from the late 12th century. There is no south aisle; the south doorway, which leads directly to the nave, is from this early period, having a well-preserved semi-circular Norman arch decorated with chevron patterns and terminating in head-stops.[4]
Most of the rest of the church is of the 15th century: the porch, the tower (built on the south of the church, adjoining the porch), the nave arcade, north aisle and the chancel. The tower has two stages and a parapet with battlements. It has gargoyles at the corners of the parapet string course, and a sundial (probably added later) on the south-west buttress of the tower.[4]
In the late 19th century the north aisle, the east wall of the chancel and the west wall of the nave were rebuilt.[4]