Hearse House In Churchyard Of Church Of St Mary

MATERIALS: brick with ashlar dressings, slate roof.

EXTERIOR: Hearse house stands to north-east corner of churchyard to north of St Mary's Church. Slender, near full-height gableted piers to south and east elevations, gableted kneelers to eastern gable end. Pitched roof of rear (western) half of building replaced with a flat roof. East gable end with off-centre doorway with a shallow-arched head and ashlar lintel, and a panelled door with a modern metal covering (an identical doorway and door to the west end have been sealed off but can be observed internally). Later narrow doorway inserted to south elevation of rear section. Mid-late C20, single-storey, flat-roofed toilet block extension attached to west end of hearse house with doorways and small windows to south and west elevations is not of special interest.

INTERIOR: Now used as a store. Divided into two (front and rear halves), both with whitewashed walls and stone sett floors. Front section contains an original timber ledger cupboard fixed to one of the walls, an enclosed brick corner stove and chimneybreast. Stone crest, 1668, of Edward Kenyon built into north wall, which came from his monument in St Mary's Church. Interior also incorporates an incised, late medieval stone tomb slab depicting a floriated cross and shears. Wall-mounted hooks to interior of rear section.