Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church with origins in the 12th century. The tower and north arcade remain from this early phase, with a spire added in the early 13th century. The north aisle was rebuilt in the mid 14th century and extensively restored in the 19th century; the nave and chancel were also rebuilt in the late 14th century, with further restoration work occurring in 1862, and the south porch rebuilt in 1880. The church is constructed of coursed limestone rubble, with a lead roof to the nave and slate roofs to the remainder of the building.

The church comprises a nave, a north aisle with a vestry bay at the east end, a south porch, a central tower, and a chancel. The west end of the nave has a large 19th-century three-light traceried window, with 19th-century buttresses and a two-bay clerestory of small rectangular windows containing two cusped lights and hoodmoulds. The south side of the nave and chancel features a band of ballflower ornament just below the eaves, along with two bays of three-light traceried windows with flat heads. A fragment of a high string course terminates in a carved head at the southwest corner of the nave. The south door has a moulded arch, jambs, and imposts, leading to a gabled porch with a moulded arch and remains of carved head stops to the hoodmould. The north aisle has a parapet, a small blocked west window, and three bays of Decorated windows, with a two-light window in the west bay and the remainder being three-light windows with reticulated tracery. Similar windows are found in the vestry bay. The central tower is of two stages, featuring a squat broach spire and 16th-century two-light openings to the bell chamber. A smaller, similar window is located on the south side, along with slight stair projections. The chancel has windows on both the north and south sides, a 19th-century three-light window with reticulated tracery in the east end, and a south door.

The interior has undergone extensive restoration. The north arcade is of particular note, with three bays—the west bay having a double chamfered arch, the east bays featuring slightly pointed moulded arches on octagonal piers, waterleaf capitals, and carved heads at the apex of each arch. Tie-beams of the nave roof are dated 1744 and 1750. The tower arches are of two orders, with the inner arch chamfered and the outer un-moulded. A doorway between the tower and vestry has a triple chamfered arch. The chancel features a cusped ogee piscina, triple sedilia with chamfered arches, and a 19th-century roof supported by 19th-century carved foliage corbels. The church’s fittings are largely 19th century, including stained glass by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Some 18th-century memorial tablets remain, but older monuments were removed during the 19th-century restoration.