The Church Of St Boniface

The Church of St Boniface is a parish church dating from approximately 1343, with significant remodelling in 1527 and subsequent alterations in 1863 by Pennington and Bridgen, and a new roof in 1950 by Marshall Sisson. The building is constructed primarily of red sandstone with a lead and slate roof. It comprises a nave, a two-bay chancel, and a west tower. The architecture is mainly Perpendicular, although earlier features are incorporated.

The church features a two-stage moulded plinth. The windows in the chancel are curvilinear, while those in the chancel chapel, nave, and clerestory are Perpendicular. Large buttresses are situated between the eight windows of the nave. The north aisle has an openwork parapet with crocketed pinnacles, while the south parapet is crenellated. The north nave entrance is in Perpendicular style and flush with the wall, whereas the south entrance is accessed via a 14th-century porch surmounted by a niche containing a mitred bishop. The square west tower has a 14th-century opening with a curvilinear window above. It has lancets to two faces at the second stage, and at the bell stage, louvred Perpendicular windows. The tower has three times reducing buttresses to the quoins and a crenellated parapet with crocketed pinnacles.

Internally, slender compound piers support a six-bay arcade that separates the nave from the aisles. A chancel chapel screen (south east) dating from 1527 is constructed of painted stone, featuring twelve ogee-headed openings, an early inscription, and the date. A pair of oak chapel entrance doors have linenfold panelling and carved wooden grilles in the upper portions. A communion rail made of heavy oak turned balusters dates from 1717. A triple-stepped ogee-headed sedilia and piscina are incorporated into the south wall of the chancel. A linenfold panelled reredos with a carved vine cornice and brattishing is also present. Several memorials are located within the church. Carved oak choir stalls with poppyheads are found within. An oak chancel screen from 1921, by F H Crossley, supports a gallery. A carved oak pulpit rests upon a stone base. A brass chandelier, dating from 1756, is in a Baroque style. A collection of stone coffin lids and largely defaced effigies, dating from the 13th to 15th centuries, are located in the rear (north-west) corner of the nave. The octagonal stone font of 1662 is decorated with simple carved motifs. The replaced nave ceiling is composed of oak panels with bosses, supported by canted beams and curved brackets from stone angel corbels. The chancel ceiling is similar to the nave but features smaller panels and plain corbels. Carved gargoyle-like corbels are present in the arcade wall facing into the aisles.