Church Of St Mary

Church of St. Mary

Parish church dating from the early 13th century with additions and alterations through the 14th and 15th centuries. The building was restored by J. Day in 1895. It is constructed of coursed and squared ironstone and limestone with ashlar dressings and lead roofs.

The church comprises a west tower, nave with clerestory, north aisle, chancel, south aisle, and south porch.

The west tower dates to the 15th century and rises in three stages. It has a moulded plinth, three string courses, and a lozenge frieze decorated with four gargoyles. The parapet is crenellated with four pinnacles. Diagonal buttresses with four setoffs support the tower. The first stage features a double lancet window to the west with panel tracery. The second stage has two quatrefoils to the south. The third stage displays an ogee double lancet opening on each side, with hood moulds.

The clerestory dates to the 15th century and contains three bays. It has a coped east gable with a cross. The north side has a central cusped double lancet, while the south side has three similar lancets, all with segmental pointed heads and hood moulds.

The north aisle comprises two unequal bays with a chamfered plinth and eaves and coped gables. The west end contains a 14th-century ogee double lancet with flamboyant tracery and hood mould. The north side has a corner buttress and a slightly off-centre buttress, both with single setoffs. Near the centre is a Decorated ogee double lancet, and to the west is a moulded 13th-century doorway with hood mould. The east end has a Decorated round-headed double lancet with hood mould.

The chancel dates to the 13th and 15th centuries and comprises two bays with a chamfered plinth and eaves and coped east gable with cross. The east end features a 14th-century untraceried triple lancet with segmental pointed head. The south side has, to the west, a filleted moulded 13th-century priest's door with filleted shafts and hood mould, and to the east, a late 14th-century reticulated triple lancet with flat head.

The south aisle contains three bays with a chamfered plinth and eaves, coped ends, and two diagonal buttresses with two setoffs. The east end has a 14th-century reticulated triple lancet. The south side displays a restored Decorated ogee double lancet to the east. The west end has a similar triple lancet. All these lancets have hood moulds.

The restored south porch has a chamfered plinth and eaves, a pair of flanking buttresses, and a coped gable with cross. It features a restored double chamfered 14th-century doorway with round shafts and hood mould.

The interior contains stone benches and a restored roof with moulded purlin and ridge. A 13th-century keeled and roll-moulded doorway with hood mould is present. The north arcade dates to the mid-13th century and features octagonal piers and round responds with water-holding bases and moulded abaci. The double chamfered semi-circular arches have hood moulds. The early 13th-century south arcade has round piers with water-holding bases and moulded abaci. The chamfered round arches have half-roll and hollow moulding and hood moulds. A low-pitched late 19th-century roof with arch braces rests on 15th-century mask corbels. The tower arch dates to the late 13th century and is double chamfered and rebated with round responds with octagonal bases and abaci. The north aisle east and west windows contain early 14th-century stained glass roundels. A restored lean-to roof covers the north aisle. The south aisle has a similar roof and moulded sill band. At the east end to the south are a 13th-century cusped piscina and square aumbry. The chancel arch dates to the late 13th century and is double chamfered and rebated with octagonal responds and hood mould. The chancel north side has a blocked window to the west and to the east a 14th-century moulded tomb recess. Above it is an aumbry with crocketed nodding ogee canopy on mask corbels and miniature flanking buttresses. The east end has a 19th-century stained glass window. The south side has a 13th-century piscina with mask corbel to the east and a seat in a window recess to its right. A panelled 19th-century ceiling with arch braces on mask corbels covers the chancel.

Fittings include a Perpendicular style reredos, stalls and desks with shaped ends, all dating to the late 19th century. A round eggcup font dates to the 17th century. An octagonal traceried oak pulpit and octagonal font with flying buttresses, both created by the Reverend W. Thorold in 1899. A Decorated style font cover dates to 1898. 19th-century donations and Commandments boards are present, along with Royal Arms of George III on a board. Memorials include a double oval cartouche dated 1722, three brasses of 20th-century date, and a roll of honour from 1918.