Church Of St Thomas Of Canterbury

The Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury is a parish church dating from the 13th century, with significant alterations and additions in the 14th and 15th centuries. The chancel was rebuilt in 1874. It is constructed of limestone ashlar, squared limestone and greenstone rubble, with slate roofs.

The church comprises a western tower, a clerestoried nave, aisles, a south porch, and a chancel. The 15th-century ashlar tower features a moulded plinth, chamfered string courses, a battlemented parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles and grotesque carvings, and stepped corner buttresses. The belfry stage has two-light cusped openings with panel tracery and hood moulds, and a single cusped light on each face below. A continuously moulded and chamfered surround and hood mould define the west doorway. Above the doorway is a large three-light window with cusped heads to the lights, panel tracery and a chamfered surround.

The 14th-century north aisle is constructed of squared greenstone with brick patching and contains a three-light intersecting traceried window to the west. Two two-light windows, a single three-light window and a pointed-headed doorway are also present, all with ogee heads to the lights set in chamfered rectangular surrounds. A three-light east window has reticulated tracery. The clerestory has three pairs of 13th-century lancets.

The 1874 chancel, constructed of brick in Flemish bond, has a single 19th-century two-light window in a 14th-century style. An early 19th-century brick vestry has a pointed door and a two-light window with timber Y tracery. A 19th-century three-light east window is in a geometric style. The chancel is constructed of limestone and greenstone on the south side, with two pairs of 19th-century windows in a 14th-century style. The south aisle features a pair of trefoil-headed lights on the east wall, two 14th-century three-light windows in rectangular surrounds, and a 15th-century three-light window with panel tracery and a cambered head on the south side. A 14th-century three-light window with ogee heads to the lights and a low cambered arch is on the west wall.

A gabled 19th-century ashlar porch has a double chamfered outer arch with octagonal imposts. The inner doorway is from the early 13th century, with shafted reveals, stiff leaf capitals, dog toothing, and a richly moulded head.

Inside, the four-bay early 13th-century nave arcades have round piers, octagonal and round stiff leaf capitals, double chamfered arches, some with dog tooth hood moulds and beast head label stops. A single keeled and shafted respond is on the south side. A rood loft opening is on the north side. A tall 15th-century double chamfered tower arch has octagonal imposts. A 13th-century double chamfered chancel arch is flanked by shafted responds and annular capitals. A 19th-century pointed chamfered doorway in the chancel north wall leads to the vestry. The church contains 18th-century panelled pews, a 19th-century rood screen – possibly incorporating 15th-century elements – and 15th-century panel traceried woodwork on the facings of 20th-century choir stalls. A tall, octagonal 14th-century font has a stop-chamfered stem with cusped flowing traceried panels.