Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a late medieval church, largely re-faced in the 18th century and altered in 1874-5 by the architect John Douglas. It is constructed of red brick in English garden wall bond, with a plain tile roof. The church comprises a nave with side aisles, a chancel, and a western tower with a south-western vestry.

The tower, dating from 1728, has 19th-century windows. Its western face features a two-light ground floor window with ogee heads, a hoodmould with ashlar label stops and figurehead stops, and Perpendicular tracery. A buttress with offsets sits to the left. Above are two lancet windows, and two louvred belfry openings with cusped Perpendicular-style ashlar surrounds. A 19th-century broach spire tops the tower. Each side of the tower has a circular iron clock face. The nave’s south front has a timbered porch with a red sandstone base, chamfered top, arched braces above, and two-light windows to the sides. The porch contains an 18th-century ashlar door surround with a round-arched head, moulded springers, and a keystone. The door itself has nail head decoration. To the right of the porch are three three-light windows with ashlar surrounds and loosely Perpendicular tracery. The north front mirrors this with four similar windows and a single two-light window to the left. The chancel has single-light windows to the north and south, and a five-light eastern window. A datestone inscribed 1874 is visible below this window, along with decorative timber framing and bargeboards to the gable.

Inside, eight octagonal wooden piers remain from the 15th century. The aisle walls have dado panelling formed from 18th-century box pews. Douglas retained the walling of 1728 but lowered the wall height of the aisles.

The church is designated at Grade II for its architectural interest, incorporating elements from a 15th-century church, an 18th-century re-facing, and well-executed 19th-century alterations. The interior features include the 15th-century octagonal timber nave piers and dado panelling formed from 18th-century box pews. Its fabric conveys the ecclesiastical history and development of the site from the 15th century onwards.