Church Of St Mary

Parish Church. Consecrated in 1778, it was likely designed by Sir Thomas Robinson, with a chancel and organ chamber added in 1877. The church is constructed of squared stone with an ashlar plinth, a wall face up to the sill band, and ashlar dressings on the porch and bellcote; the chancel is of rough-faced stone with ashlar dressings. The nave has a graduated stone slate roof, while the 19th-century parts have graduated Lakeland slates. It is an aisleless three-bay nave with a west porch; a narrower chancel is attached to the south, alongside an organ chamber and vestry. The liturgical west end faces south. The 18th-century parts are in a Classical style, while the 19th-century parts show a hybrid of Classical and Romanesque influences.

The central west porch has five steps leading up to panelled double doors, which are set under a three-pane fanlight within a round arch supported on moulded imposts. There are paterae in the spandrels of the arch and a pediment above. Flanking the porch are blind round-arched windows. A block cornice sits below a pedimented gable with a blind oculus. The bellcote has a round arch, a pediment, and a Greek finial cross. The side walls of the nave feature three plain arched windows with later glazing, all topped with a similar cornice.

The chancel and organ chamber/vestry are built over basements. They have sill and impost bands, round-arched windows, three stepped in the east end, and pedimented gables. The chancel undercroft has a segmental-arched entrance at the east end and round-headed slit windows.

Inside, the porch has a groin-vaulted ceiling and panelled double doors leading to the nave, which are set under an arched three-pane fanlight in a raised panel with a moulded impost band and cornice. A panelled round chancel arch sits above paired consoles, leading to a round arch to the organ chamber. There is a moulded sill band throughout. The nave features king-post roofs. A free-standing font is made of mahogany, with a fluted bowl on a slender tripod base. Marble mural tablets are located in the nave, commemorating Sir Septimus Robinson (d.1777) by Nollekens, John Sawrey Morritt (d.1791) by Westmacott, J.B.S. Morritt (d.1843), and W.J.S. Morritt (d.1878).

A historical note indicates the church is very similar to Sir Thomas Robinson’s church at Glynde in Sussex. It was unfurnished when Robinson sold the Rokeby estate in 1769, when J.S. Morritt commissioned John Carr to complete the work.