Church Of St Mary

The Church of St. Mary is a parish church with origins in the 12th century, expanded in the early 13th century, and significantly altered in the late 15th century, 1607, and the 19th century. The chancel was rebuilt in 1870, with further restorations in 1853 and 1910. The church is constructed primarily of limestone and chalk ashlar, limestone and greenstone coursed and squared rubble, with red brick dressings, slate, and lead roofs.

The building consists of a western tower, a clerestoried nave, aisles, a chancel, and a south porch. The three-stage 12th-century tower has a tall lower stage featuring roll and concave moulded string courses, a battlemented parapet, and clasping buttresses to the lower stage. Patches of chalk and red brick are visible within the limestone and greenstone banding. The 15th-century belfry stage has triple louvred panel traceried lights on each side. A blocked early 13th-century opening with engaged angle shafts is visible below, along with a blocked double pointed head opening, alongside paired pointed lights on the eastern face. The west side has a pair of tall early 13th-century lancets separated by a short buttress.

The north aisle presents a mixed appearance of brick and greenstone with a lead roof and plain parapet, featuring a reused tombstone with a stepped cross on the west buttress. It contains two-light C19 Y-traceried windows at each end and four on the north side, separated by stepped buttresses. A pointed and double-chamfered C19 north door provides access.

The C19 limestone ashlar chancel, with a slate roof, is executed in the 14th-century reticulated style. It contains a two-light window to the north, a three-light window to the east, and a pair of two-light windows to the south. A reused 14th-century armorial stone is inset into the south-east quoin, and a pointed doorway is present on the south side.

The south aisle and porch are originally 15th-century, constructed from greenstone and ashlar, partially rebuilt in 1607 using brick and ashlar. The aisle now holds five two-light rectangular windows with moulded surrounds and hoods, one in the east end. The parapet bears the inscription "1607 TCTS." The west window of the south aisle is a C19 two-light window. The southern clerestory contains three paired cusped 14th-century lights, which have been recut.

The C15 gabled ashlar porch is accentuated by stepped angle buttresses and a double-chamfered arch with filleted shafted reveals. Above is an ogee niche containing a Latin inscription detailing the construction of the porch by the brothers and sisters of the Guild of St. Mary; a wave-moulded ogee headed inner door completes the detail.

The early 13th-century 5-bay nave arcades feature circular piers, annular capitals (two with stiff leaf foliage), and double-chamfered arches with human head stops (one depicting a female with a nose band). The early 13th-century tower arch has filleted shafted responds, octagonal capitals, and a triple-chamfered arch. A C19 chamfered chancel arch has hobnailed imposts. The roofs are C19. The church also contains a panelled octagonal pulpit dated 1730, an octagonal C15 font with shields and cusped panels to the bowl and stem, and all other fittings date to the 19th century.