Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church built in 1887 by architect W.E. Hicks. It was partly funded by John Spencer of Whorlton Hall in memory of his wife, who passed away in 1882. The church is constructed from hammer-dressed snecked sandstone, featuring an ashlar plinth, quoins, and dressings, with a roof made of graduated stone slates.

The layout includes a west baptistry, a nave, a south vestry, and a north organ loft connected to the chancel, all designed in a style reminiscent of the late 12th century. Notable architectural features include a chamfered surround and a moulded arch on impost bands at the south baptistry door, three lancet windows in the west baptistry, and a three-bay nave with paired lancets on the west front above a quarter-round string course. The east end has three stepped lancets, and the chancel plinth features a triple chamfer. The church has pent roofs over the aisle and vestry, a hipped pent roof over the baptistry, and is topped with a sanctus bellcote and cross finials.

Inside, the church has plastered walls above a boarded dado and narrow-boarded wood barrel-vaulted ceilings. There are three steps leading to the chancel and two steps to the sanctuary. The pews, which originally extended to the chancel, have simply-curved ends. The east window contains glass in memory of Spencer, while the central window in the baptistry depicts Christ with children and is dedicated to Rev. S. Buckwall, who served as vicar from 1884 to 1891. Additionally, the north lancet of the baptistry features a high-quality depiction of Christ the Good Shepherd, with an inscription remembering the school children who erected the window in 1893.