Church Of St Thomas

The Church of St Thomas is a Congregational chapel, later used as a parish church, constructed in 1843. It is built of coursed dressed red sandstone with stone dressings, featuring a slate roof with stone copings, moulded kneelers, and a square, turret-like finial on the east gable.

The exterior is characterised by a single tall storey, with a 5-bay continuous nave and chancel set on a low, weathered plinth. East and west windows on the north and south elevations are blocked. Lancet windows, under Gothic hoodmoulds, have steeply weathered sills, splayed reveals, and three tiers of cast-iron petaloids under apex quatrefoils. Stepped lancets in the west gable-end are blocked, resembling an oculus in the gable apex. A Gothic-headed east door, made of plain oak boards and under a hoodmould, is accessed through a slightly projecting porch with crenellated capping. This porch is topped by a lancet window mirroring the proportions and glazing of those in the nave. Small, narrow, flat-headed windows with splayed reveals and steeply weathered sills, containing simple metal casements, flank the porch. A gallery window is flanked by plain shield projections, and a wall-mounted bell is located on the south side. A framed, ledged and braced chancel door is located to the north, accessed by four steps with a plain metal handrail, and above it is a half-depth blocked window. Ogee moulded eaves are supported by stone corbels.

The interior is of a continuous nave and chancel, with all sanctuary windows blocked. A light oak communion rail with reeded supports, ogee arched heads, and shell spandrels is present. The 1948 panelled oak memorial pulpit features a shell motif and dentil capping. An oak lesson readers desk has modest carving. Lengthways benches with panelled front rails are interspersed with general oak benches. A rear gallery, supported by two octagonal timber columns and fronted by crossed moulds forming three diamond shapes flanking a central circle, houses a pipe organ. The combined nave/chancel roof is supported by four simple arched trusses springing from stone corbels, with circle and dagger perforations at wallplate level. A six-panel door with small centre panels and cusped trefoil heads to the upper panels leads to the porch, which provides access to the gallery steps, vestry, and a small utility room, all with similar doors. An oak altar features a cross and crown of thorns motif to the centre, under a pentafoil head, and flower, foliage, and shell motifs to the sides under ogee arched heads.