Our inheritance from the past
1932-1936
St Mary's Church originally began on a site close to the present Church Hall in Church Road. It was a small Mission Hall capable of seating only about fifty people. This satisfied the need at that time for a place of worship serving the newly developed residential district of Ferndown which, although within the Parish of Hampreston, was remote from the Parish Church of All Saints.
By the turn of the century this Mission Hall had become inadequate and, through the generosity of Lady Wimborne, was replaced by the present Church Hall.
For over thirty years the Church Hall served as both Church and Infant School but, by 1933, it was too small as a Church for the rapidly increasing population of Ferndown, and the Parochial Church Council launched an appeal for funds to provide a new Church.
The site was given in May 1932 by Mrs Lyon who lived at 'Dudsway' in Dudsbury Avenue where now stands Dudsbury Court. She had bought the land in 1926 when otherwise an hotel might have been built there.
In 1932 Herbert Kendall Esq. the Diocesan Architect was asked to prepare plans for the new Church reproducing as far as possible the main characteristics of the ancient and beautiful Parish Church of All Saints. The plans were adopted in December 1932 when the estimated cost for the whole building was about £10,000.
By 1933 the sum of £4,000 had been raised which made it possible to construct the Nave as the first stage of the new Church and, in May of that year, a builder's tender was accepted and work commenced.
On September 25th 1933 the two foundation stones were laid by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend St. Clair Donaldson D.D., and Mrs Lyon of Dudsway, Ferndown, the Honorary Treasurer of the Building Appeal Fund.
The partially completed Nave which formed the basic part of the Architect's plan served for two years. There was no vestry accommodation and this had to be provided by temporary wooden structures added to the north-east end of the Nave.
Interesting gifts to this first stage of the Church were a stained glass window representing "Motherhood" from the Mother's Union and a large bell from the demolished Fordington Church near Dorchester which was first suspended from an outside bracket at the west end of the Nave, and later relocated to the tower. This bell was sold in 1988. The font came from a Church at Totland Bay on the Isle of Wight.
In October 1935 the north and south porches were added to the design of the honorary architect, Mr Austin. These were dedicated by the Bishop of Salisbury on 24th July 1936.
To commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary (6th May 1935) Mr John Prior planted the Blue Cedar Tree (Cedrus Atlantica Glauca) in December 1935.