Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

Parish church dating from circa 1359, with significant 15th-century work, late 18th-century alterations, and 19th-century additions. Built in squared chalk, limestone and ironstone rubble, with red brick, under slate and pantile roofs. The building comprises a western tower, nave, chancel, and south porch.

The 15th-century western tower has two stages and is constructed of chalk with a plinth, stepped angle buttresses, and an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. The belfry stage contains four paired cusped-headed 19th-century lights under pointed arches. The west window has two cusped-headed lights with panel tracery, a moulded surround, and a hood with human head label stops.

The north nave wall features a blocked 15th-century doorway with a chamfered ogee head, followed by two three-light windows with trefoil heads to the lights, panel tracery, moulded surrounds, and hoods with human head label stops. The chancel north wall contains two two-light windows with cusped ogee heads, panel tracery, and triangular heads with moulded hoods. The east window is 14th-century with three lights, trefoil heads, curvilinear tracery, and a single chamfered surround with moulded door. The chancel south wall has two windows matching those on the north plus a lower window with cusped arched head, double chamfered surround, and hood. A scratch dial is visible in the stone of the eastern reveal. The south nave wall has two windows matching those to the north.

The south porch dates from the late 18th century and is built of brick with raised coped gables and kneelers, and a pantile roof. It has a round-arched outer opening with keyblock containing a wooden Gothick railed gate. The 14th-century inner doorway features a continuous sunk wave moulding and moulded hood. The late 18th-century door has Gothick arches in its six panels.

Interior

The 15th-century tower arch springs from human head corbels supporting octagonal brackets and is double chamfered. A pegged stair ladder is located within the tower. The nave roof is a 19th-century timber barrel vault, supported on massive 15th-century braced ties with blank shields to the ends of the braces, resting on probably repositioned 15th-century corbels, some decorated with grotesque figures. The nave walls are lined with 18th-century raised and fielded dado panelling.

The chancel, undivided from the nave, contains an ogee-headed piscina in its south wall. The north wall features a fine 14th-century tomb recess with moulded ogee surround and pierced cusped tracery. Attached to the rear wall of the recess is a small brass to Sir John Skipwith, who died in 1400, showing the deceased in full plate armour with sword and misericord, with feet resting on a lion. This brass was removed from the Church of St Bartholomew at Covenham.

Fittings include 19th-century fine brass altar rails and a good 17th-century oak altar table with turned legs. The 15th-century octagonal font has a moulded top with fleurons beneath which are shields on each face separated by foliage; the base is moulded with stop chamfers to the angles. A handsome octagonal cast iron paraffin stove has pierced Gothic panels to the sides and a shaped top with knop and drop handles. The pews and pulpit are 20th-century. A late 14th-century incised slab commemorates John Merle, rector.

The chancel was licensed in 1359.