The illustrious pile of Dorchester Church stands on the northern bank of the gently flowing river Frome. From the east end of the building the land slants rapidly down to the river side, whilst on either side of the body of the church is pleasant meadow land--the former site, probably, of the conventual buildings. All that remains of these is the guest house to the west of the church. The old Saxon cathedral, used now as the parish church of a country town, is an irregular building, and consists of a nave (Norman) with a south aisle--once used by the monks as their parish church, and containing an altar raised upon three deep steps above which is a blocked-up window--choir (Decorated), having a perfect east window with a protruding central shaft, and also a “Jesse” window on the north side; south choir aisle, in which are two chapels, recently repaired by Sir Gilbert Scott; north choir aisle (part of which is probably Norman work, having a walled-up door to the west--formerly the entrance to the cloisters); a western tower, low and massive in structure and partly Norman work; and lastly, a Perpendicular porch on the south-west angle of the building. Undoubtedly the east end of the church is the most strikingly beautiful part of the edifice. Exquisite stained glass, and perfect carving of the stone-work in the windows, graceful daintiness of the architecture, costly embroideries and delicate laces on the altars, are among the many beauties of this old abbey church. The “Jesse” window mentioned above is unique. It is of four lights and has intersecting tracery above. “The centre mullion represents a trunk of a tree with branches ornamented with foliage crossing over the other mullions to the outside jambs. At the foot of the tree is the recumbent figure of Jesse, and at each intersection is a sculptured figure, while others are painted on the glass between; the whole forming a complete genealogical tree of the House of David. The effigy of the King is at the bottom right hand corner, but those representing our Lord and the Virgin Mary have both disappeared. The figures are very quaint and of various sizes; some of those painted in the window still have their names beneath, while most of the others in stone-work have scrolls on which the name was once painted.”--HENRY W. TAUNT, Esq.