Church Of St Mary And St Stephen

The Church of St Mary and St Stephen is a parish church largely rebuilt in 1848 by W. Nicholson. It incorporates fabric from a 12th and 13th century building, originally dedicated to St Stephen; the dedication was changed to St Matthew, and subsequently restored with a reconsecration in 1896. The west tower was heightened in 1856. The church is constructed of sandstone rubble with coursed squared sandstone in the 19th century, featuring an ashlar plinth and stone dressings. It has roofs of graduated Lakeland slates with stone gable copings.

The church comprises a west tower, a 4-bay nave with a clasping south aisle and south porch, a north aisle, a tower choir vestry, and a 4-bay chancel with a north vestry and organ chamber. The gabled porch has a 2-centred arched shafted surround to a wrought-iron gate, flanked by buttresses with setbacks and gablets. A studded board church door has elaborate hinges, and there are lancet windows with drip moulds, featuring head or ballflower stops. The tower is of Norman design to nave-roof level, with a 3-stage structure, incorporating a small round-headed stair turret on the west front and a battlemented top stage with paired belfry openings under 2-centred arched drip moulds. A painted clock, gifted by Miss Wilson and G.D. Wooler, was added in 1856.

The interior features painted plaster, ashlar arcades, and dressings; with a scissor-truss roof supported by corbelled wall-posts. The 4-bay 14th century arcades have double-chamfered 2-centred arches on round piers with moulded capitals bearing a band of dog-tooth moulding, and keeled responds. A high 2-centred chancel arch of two orders rests on shafts and half-shafts, with alternate-block jambs. The east window has similar detailing, with clasping bands on the shafts and a sill string. A Norman west door, now located on the north tower wall, has fat roll moulding and recessed shafts with scallop capitals, forming a plain round arch; a chamfered inner arch is present. A high 2-centred tower arch, with a wide chamfer and quirk, features grotesque corbels; a stopped drip mould depicts a man’s head and a woman in headdress.

Notable memorials include a classical tablet to Rev. Peter Ionn, erected by scholars, commemorating him as curate and schoolmaster. Another is a classical tablet to the Greenwell family by G. Green, Newcastle, dating from c.1839, and a memorial tablet in the tower (resited from the chancel) to Francis Ainsley nee Gilbert, died 1677. The glass includes north aisle windows by Atkinson of Newcastle, and a window in the west end of the south aisle dedicated to John and Jane Proud, who died in 1859 and 1866, featuring "Jacob's ladder" by Holiday.