Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a large parish church primarily built in the 14th century, with some remnants of Norman work. The chancel was largely rebuilt in the 19th century, mainly by architect John Dobson, while the west tower dates from the mid-18th century. Attached to the north wall is "The Anchorage," which originally housed an anchoress; it was rebuilt in the early 19th century as a school and is now used as a vestry.

The church is constructed of coursed sandstone rubble, with some squared stone, and features an ashlar tower. The roofs are made of Welsh slate. The layout is cruciform, with nave aisles, a south porch, and a projecting west tower that includes an arch leading to the nave, added in 1876. The tower is tall and has four plain chamfers, forming a baptistry.

Inside, the nave has five bays with a parapet and crocketed buttresses, and the windows are restored in the style of the 15th century. The chancel has three long bays with 19th-century windows, although traces of blocked 15th-century windows can still be seen. The tower consists of three stages, featuring quoins and cornices, with a curved top over the clock faces on the second stage and a pedimented top stage with round-arched bell openings.

The interior includes nave piers that connect directly to the arcade arches without capitals, similar to St Nicholas' Cathedral in Newcastle. The flooring features complete 17th-century paving, along with carved doors and bench ends. The timber roof from the 15th century has moulded beams and joists, although there are losses at the intersections. The carved choir stalls are partially from the 17th century, with most dating to the 19th century. The chancel contains good 19th and 20th-century stained glass, as well as several classical memorial tablets.

"The Anchorage" has steps leading to a first-floor entrance, with a filled arcade below. Historically, there has been a church on this site since early Saxon times. At the time of the survey, the roof was partly destroyed, and both the chancel and the anchorage had been damaged by fire.