Southchurch Hall

Abstract

In 1437 Sherborne Abbey church was deliberately set on fire as the result of a quarrel between certain parishioners and the monks. The tower and chancel of the church were being rebuilt at the time. This paper records the results of a detailed study of the masonry which had been discoloured by scorching, and the conclusions deduced therefrom. These include: some modifications of the story of the fire as interpreted by Professor R. Willis in 1865, and deductions on the course and extent of the fire, the stage that the rebuilding had reached and its sequence of construction. The survey also proves that the fan vaults and clerestory windows of the east end were completed after the fire to their original design. The paper ends with some discussion about the possible architect, and an assessment of the design and influence of the fan vaults.