by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporting Service.
An urgent programme of conservation work is being proposed to stabilise and safeguard the crumbling Priest’s House at Lyscombe, a Grade II‑listed 16th‑century building.
The roofless two‑storey ruin, located in the Dorset National Landscape at Lyscombe near Cheslbourne, Dorchester has deteriorated significantly in recent years, with large areas of mortar failure, collapsing masonry and exposed chalk cores now threatening its long‑term survival. The building was last subject to major repair work in 2004–05, but a new heritage assessment says those interventions are failing and that further action is now essential.
The building is on a farm estate which has recently come under Dorset Wildlife Trust management.
The Priest’s House, originally a pair of small cottages serving the adjacent chapel, dates back to the 1500s with a 17th‑century western extension. Its proximity to the Grade II* listed and Scheduled medieval chapel means the house falls within the monument’s curtilage, increasing the need for sensitive conservation according to a report to Dorset Council.
The repair proposals includes extensive lime-mortar repointing, rebuilding sections of unstable walling using Portland stone, and installing new flint capping to protect exposed wall tops — a key reason the earlier repairs have failed. Floors are also to be stabilised, drainage systems renewed, and the historic cobbled yard re-laid using traditional techniques.
Engineers have identified particularly serious problems in the eastern part of the structure, where the chalk‑cored walls have degraded and voids have opened up behind failing stonework. These will be rebuilt and strengthened with set‑back stone facings to distinguish new interventions from the original medieval and post‑medieval material.
Historic features around the fireplaces, window openings and internal cross‑wall will also be repaired. A surviving section of a timber window frame will be dismantled and stored safely inside the chapel.
A heritage statement describes the Priest’s House as having “moderate to high” significance due to its age, architectural details including multiple chimneystacks and a stone spiral stair, and its direct relationship with Lyscombe Chapel, which dates back to the 12th century. Historic England records show the cottage was still standing with a roof until the mid‑20th century but had become derelict by the 1950s. The 2004–05 works stabilised parts of the structure but did not address long‑term water ingress through exposed wall tops — the cause now blamed for much of the recent deterioration.
The planned are considered essential if the building is to survive future winters. The works are also designed to maintain the setting of the medieval chapel, which remains one of Dorset’s most atmospheric historic sites.
Dorset Council is being asked to approved listed building consent for the works.
(click images to enlarge)
