Church Of St Mary And St Nicholas

Church of St Mary and St Nicholas

This is a parish church of mixed date, with origins in the 13th century but substantially rebuilt and enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church was restored between 1875 and 1878 by the architect Ewan Christian. It is constructed of limestone ashlar with lead and slate roofs.

The church comprises a western tower, clerestoried nave with aisles, chancel, and south porch. The 3-stage western tower has stepped corner buttresses, a coved cornice, and short pinnacles. To the belfry stage are 2-light openings with cusped heads and a wide central mullion. A small west door features a chamfered pointed head, and above this is a 15th-century 4-light window with panel tracery.

The north aisle is equipped with a facetted stair tower and a 16th-century 4-light west window. It has a battlemented parapet with corner pinnacles and stepped buttresses. Five matching 15th-century 5-light windows with cusped heads to the lights and panel tracery run along the aisle. The north door is surmounted by a hood mould bearing grotesques, and above it is a blocked niche. A larger 15th-century 4-light east window is also present. The clerestory is battlemented and contains 6 two-light windows. The 14th-century chancel has a slate roof and features 2 three-light reticulated windows and a single curvilinear traceried window. A tall 5-light reticulated east window dates to 1345–71. The south chancel wall is similar to the north and also includes a priest's door.

The south aisle has a tall stair turret on its east side and a 19th-century 3-light east window. Along the south side are 5 three-light 15th-century windows with panel tracery in deeply moulded reveals, and a 4-light west window. The 15th-century 2-storey porch has a pointed outer arch. Above this is a 3-light parvise window with cusped heads to the lights, and above that is a small niche containing a statue. The gabled porch is battlemented with crocketed corner pinnacles and grotesque supporters. The 13th-century inner doorway features paired shafts to the reveals, hobnail annular capitals, dogtooth moulding, and a deeply moulded pointed arch. Within this is a trefoil-headed surround with dogtoothing and leaf terminals.

Interior

The tall 14th-century nave arcades comprise 6 bays with octagonal piers and moulded arches. The western respond is quatrefoil with angle fillets. A fine tower arch, dating to around 1200, has shafted reveals, waterleaf capitals, a hollow chamfer, a keeled roll, and an order of wedge-shaped motifs with a lozenged hood. The 14th-century chancel arch has octagonal reveals, is double-shafted, and features fleurons to octagonal imposts.

The 14th-century nave roof features braced tie beams to low crown posts with figured corbels. The north aisle roof is similar. The south aisle roof is 15th-century with moulded principals, bosses, and angels. In the south aisle is a moulded 4-centred arched door to the rood loft, with a corresponding door above in the nave. The chancel contains triple sedilia with a double piscina, featuring ogee arches. Windows in the north aisle retain fragments of 15th-century glass, including demi-figures and angels.

Fittings and Monuments

The pulpit is an early 17th-century octagonal example with Ionic columns supporting a fluted frieze enriched with straps. The panels are decorated with blank arches, arabesques, and guilloche. The reredos is a 19th-century carved wooden gilded piece. The font dates to 1724 and is plain octagonal with a bowl having sunk panels and a fluted stem set on 3 steps; it is inscribed with the name Ric. Bailey, Vicar 1724.

The church contains several monuments. Brasses commemorate John Reade (died 1503) and his wife and children, located in the chancel floor. Sir John Read (died 1626) is commemorated by a large alabaster sideboard tomb featuring the deceased and wife lying on a tomb chest carved with weepers, behind which stands a pedimented inscription panel with swags, escutcheon, and funeral helm. Rev. Richard Bailey (died 1775) is remembered by an eared wall plaque with a broken pediment and cross.