St. John the Baptist, Bere Regis, Dorset

Description

The parish church of St John the Baptist is a building of flint and stone, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower, with carved pinnacles, containing a clock with quarter chimes and 5 bells; the style is principally Perpendicular, but there are traces of Norman work in the interior, and the south aisle is Decorated: the roof of the nave, erected by Cardinal Morton (who also built the tower), in Henry VII.'s reign, is of richly carved oak with fine hammer beams adorned with figures, which have been repaired and repainted in their original colours: the seats are of oak with beautifully carved ends: the windows are all stained, and were presented by the late Mrs Ernle-Erle-Drax: there are two finely canopied tombs in Purbeck marble of the Turberville family, the ancient lords of the manor; one in the chancel to John Skerne, with a curious inscription, and a brass with Latin epitaph to Andrew Loup: the church was thoroughly restored and reseated in 1875, from designs by the late G.E. Street esq. R.A. at a cost of over £5,000: an oak reredos was presented in 1909 in memory of J.L. Eggington esq.: there are 428 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register of baptisms, marriages and burials begins in 1588, but the 18th century registers were burnt in a fire at the vicarage in 1788.. The original register books are now deposited with the Dorset Archives Service, but have been digitised by Ancestry.co.uk and made available on their site (subscription required).