| Cranborne Priory Church | |
|---|---|
| Church of St Mary and St Bartholomew, Cranborne | |
| Cranborne Abbey Church | |
 | |
  Cranborne Priory Church Location in Dorset | |
| Location | Cranborne, Dorset, England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Priory Church of St Mary, St Peter, and St Bartholomew Abbey Church of St Mary |
| Dedication | Virgin Mary, Bartholomew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Style | Norman, Early English Gothic, Decorated Gothic, Perpendicular Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1120–1875 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 148 ft (45 m) |
| Floor area | 618 m2 (6,650 sq ft) |
| Tower height | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Materials | Stone |
| Bells | 8 change ringing + sanctus |
| Tenor bell weight | 873 kg (0.859 long tons; 1,925 lb) or 17 long cwt 0 qr 21 lb |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Salisbury |
| Archdeaconry | Dorset |
| Deanery | Wimborne |
| Benefice | Cranborne with Boveridge |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Revd Robert David Simpson |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Church of St Mary and St Bartholomew |
| Designated | 18 March 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1120181 |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Cranborne Abbey |
| Order | Benedictine |
| Established | c. 980 |
| Disestablished | 31 January 1540 |
| Mother house | Tewkesbury Abbey |
| Dedicated to | Virgin Mary |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Aylward Sneaw |
Cranborne Priory is a former priory church in the village of Cranborne, Dorset, England. Founded in 980 as Cranborne Abbey, it became a priory in 1102, remaining that way until it was dissolved in 1540. The tower, nave and aisles from the priory survive to form the Church of St Mary and St Bartholomew, the parish church of Cranborne. The building, which has fragments from the 12th century, is designated a Grade I listed building.[1]
The surviving church is notable for its large west tower, considered "amongst the finest in East Dorset",[2] three medieval wall paintings and numerous monuments.[3]
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary and St Bartholemew (1120181)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Cranborne". An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset. Vol. 5, East Dorset. London, United Kingdom: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1975. pp. 4–16 – via British History Online.
- ^ Hall, Jason (2010). Cranborne Church Guide (PDF). Dorset Quintet.