Church Of St Matthew

The Church of St Matthew is an Early English style church dating from 1892-94, designed by Paley, Austin and Paley for Col Henry Blundell. It was enlarged and altered in 1910 by Austin and Paley. The church is built of snecked pink sandstone with a red tiled roof.

The original plan comprised a five-bay nave, extended one bay to the west, with a two-bay north aisle, a five-bay south aisle extended three bays to the west, north and south transepts, a crossing tower with a spire, and a one-bay chancel.

The exterior features clasping pilasters. The west front has two very tall lancet windows topped with a multifoil. The north side has two tall lancets flanking a gabled porch, and two shorter lancets above the pilastered aisle, which also has similar lancets and a parapet. The south aisle, of four unequal bays, has similar lancets, paired in the two western bays. The north transept has three cusped lancets, and the south transept has one lancet and a quatrefoil above.

The crossing tower is of two unequal stages with clasping corner pilasters, and a north-east stair turret. Pilaster strips rise to the belfry stage, marked by a string course, with arcading and two louvred belfry windows on each side. A stepped parapet sits above, and a tall recessed octagonal spire rises with lucarnes in the cardinal sides. All windows have reveals with two orders of chamfer and hood moulds. The chancel has three lancets on each side and a stepped triple-lancet east window, all with three orders of chamfer, the side windows linked by hood moulds.

Inside, the north aisle is two bays, and the south aisle is five bays (with three bays added in 1910). Arcades have double-chamfered arches on cylindrical columns and responds with moulded caps. Crossing arches are larger and more elaborately moulded, with a pulpit linked to the north-east pier. The roof consists of queen-strut trusses alternating with arch-braced king post trusses. A Lady Chapel is located in the north transept and an organ in the south transept. The north side of the chancel has richly-shafted windows, and the south side contains sedilia.