Lydlinch with Stock Gaylard

Lydlinch is a village and a parish 3 miles west from Sturminster Newton. It is situated on the River Lydd or Lyddon, a small river that feeds into the Stour. Today is is a quiet cluster of houses situated along a lane to the church, just south of the Sturminster to Stalbridge road. Starting in the north and travelling clockwise it is adjacent to the parishes of Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Fifehead Neville, Haselbury Bryan, Pulham, Holwell, Bishops Caundle and Stourton Caundle.

The Church of St Thomas a Becket dates from the 14th century, the square tower contains a peal of five bells and has a clock. There are parish charities dating from 1811 when land was left for the Roberts & Bissell charities for apprenticing poor children, distribution amongst the poor and for repairs to the church. Mrs Robert English used to have tile and brick works in the parish. A National School was built in 1874. The land area is 2446 acres and comprises mainly pasture, the population in 1891 was 326 in the ecclesiastical parish.

In the 19th century the Parish of Stock Gaylard was added to Lydlinch for civil purposes. Stock Gaylard is south of Lydlinch, 5 miles W by S of Sturminster. The church of St. Barnabas, standing in the grounds of Stock House, was entirely rebuilt on the site of the old church and in the same form, by the Yeatman family, in memory of Harry Farr and Emma Yeatman, his wife, and was re-opened 23rd April, 1885, by the Right Rev. Bishop Kelly D.D. acting as commissioner for the bishop of the diocese: it is of stone in the Gothic style, and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a turret at the west end containing 2 bells: beneath a recessed Gothic arch on the south side of the nave is a monument with recumbent effigy in armour, supposed to represent Sir Ingelramus le Waleys Knt. who died about 1275: there are sittings for 60 persons.

The hamlet of King (or King's) Stag is located in the south-west of the original parish of Lydlinch.

Photographs © Dorset OPC Project 1998-2022

The Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for Lydlinch is Clynn Lee

To contact Clynn please use the above link. Please put 'OPC Lydlinch' as your subject line

King's Stag Memorial Chapel
© Copyright Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

St Barnabas Church, Stock Gaylard
© Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence