Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church largely dating from the 12th to 14th centuries, with significant 18th and 19th century alterations. It is constructed of ashlar and coursed rubble stone, with roofs covered in lead, Collyweston slate, and Welsh slate, topped with stone coped gables. The church comprises a west tower, nave, aisles, chancel, north and south chancel chapels, a south transept, and a south porch.

The west tower, built in the 14th century, is of ashlar construction, with three stages and a spire, featuring plinth, clasping buttresses with set-offs, a west window, a south-west stair, a clock face to the south, four two-light bell openings with transoms, gargoyles, battlements and crocketted pinnacles. The spire has two tiers of lucarnes and a gilded weathercock. A moulded nave arch rises above semicircular responds. The north aisle, dating to the 12th century, is three bays with many-moulded round arches, circular piers, and waterleaf capitals. The south arcade is from the 13th century, featuring double-chamfered round arches and circular piers. A perpendicular clerestory has three flat-topped two-light windows to the north, and two to the south, with hood moulds externally. The roof is a restored four bay, low-pitch, cambered tie beam single purlin structure, with lead on the exterior. A mid-19th century north aisle features three windows with curvilinear tracery. A 14th century northeast wall has a small two-light flat-topped window and a corbel to the left. The 12th century chancel arch responds have a mid-13th century arch, with responds exhibiting a large and a slender shaft with waterleaf, broad leaves, and angle volute capitals. The chancel was rebuilt in 1866 in a French 14th century style, incorporating two ribbed vaults, a sedilia, and blank arcading. An eastern window features plate tracery, and north and south windows contain stained glass by Hugh Arnold from 1912. A 19th century north chancel chapel/vestry contains a 14th century northeast window. Two 13th century corbels originally stood in the chancel. A 19th century south chancel (Lady) chapel contains a south window with plate tracery and two east-facing one-light windows with stained glass by Paul Woodruffe (1936). The 14th/15th century south transept has a perpendicular window filled with mid-19th century stained glass. In the south aisle is a two-light stone mullion window. The 18th century south porch has a double-chamfered round arch. A square font, possibly from the 13th/14th century, is also present. The church contains a fine series of 18th century wall monuments, some relocated from Normanton Church, including an elaborate example to Sir Gilbert Heathcote, who died in 1733, created by J.M. Rysbrack. A wall monument to the Halford/Lucas families from 1627, with later tablets, was moved to its present position in 1866. A tall chamber organ by Samuel Green, London, 1787, with an inlaid mahogany case, is particularly noteworthy. The chancel features former pews, possibly of medieval origin, and a carved and gilded reredos by Sir G. Frampton (1896), depicting Christ enthroned and the Annunciation. A lectern is constructed from medieval pew ends. Two hatchments are also present. An altar stone, potentially medieval, originates from Normanton Church.