Winterborne Stickland is a delightful village with a thriving post office and village store and a lively pub that is a favourite with visitors and locals alike.  It is also a village lucky enough to have its own school, Dunbury School. The name of the village originates from Saxon times but the church of St. Mary was probably built in the 13th century.  It has several interesting features, with the Chancel and Nave being of 13th century origin and the tower 15th century.  It contains four bells:  a tenor dated 1626 (“give thanks to God”), a second dated 1622 (“serve the Lord”), a treble dated 1670 and inscribed with the names of the Churchwardens, and a new treble dated 1905 (Laudate pueri”).

 

Outside and near the church is an ancient lime tree at the village crossroad, and beside this stands the base of the Medieval Village Cross.  In 1977 this was excavated and mounted on a block of Purbeck Stone to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.  The original cross was probably erected in the early 15th century, and would have served as a place for proclaiming banns of marriage, collecting tolls, preaching places for wandering friars, and of course for the village stocks!

WINTERBORNE STICKLAND & THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY