Church of St Hybald

Church of St Hybald

Parish church of the 12th, 13th, 15th and 19th centuries. The nave and chancel were restored in 1854 by Mr Huddleston. The building is constructed in coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, plain tile roofs with ashlar coped gables and kneelers, and cross finials. It comprises a western tower with spire, nave, north aisle and vestry, chancel, north porch and organ chamber, all with ashlar quoins.

The western tower is plain and unbuttressed with a deep chamfered plinth. On the west face is a single lower opening with two-light reticulated tracery window in a pointed arched chamfered surround with hood mould. The south face carries an illegible plaque. The top stage has pairs of pointed arched bell openings on each face with roll moulded surrounds, and re-used pieces of medieval sculpture are buried in the walling. Above is a band with corner gargoyles and battlements, surmounted by a tall octagonal spire with four small lucarnes.

The north aisle has three bays with buttresses with set offs and corbelled eaves. It contains two-light 19th-century pointed arched windows in deeply chamfered surrounds with hood moulds, each with different flowing tracery. The north vestry has an ashlar and brick chimney stack and a two-light Caernarvon arched window with hood to its east. The chancel east window is three-light with reticulated tracery in a pointed chamfered surround with hood mould, flanked by diagonal corner buttresses with set offs. The chancel south wall has a single cusped lancet in a flat-headed chamfered surround.

The south organ chamber has a single pointed arched doorway with plank door and a single Caernarvon arched window to the south, both flanked by buttresses. The nave south wall contains two two-light geometric tracery windows in pointed chamfered surrounds, separated by a single buttress. The north gabled porch has a pointed arched opening with stone benches, and a double arched pointed inner doorway with keeled shafts and two rows of dog-tooth in the arch, plus a 19th-century door.

Interior features include a three-bay north arcade with double chamfered arches and two piers, each with four keeled shafts, single shaft responds, and moulded bases and capitals. The triple chamfered tower arch has moulded capitals and an impost band. The double chamfered chancel arch has moulded brattished capitals and octagonal responds decorated with fleuron. The east chancel wall has a triple arched arcaded window surround with commandment boards in single lancets either side.

The font is 15th-century hexagonal with bowl and stem decorated with foliate panels. An 18th-century wooden organ is present. 19th-century features include wooden pews, altar rail, reredos and wooden roofs, the nave roof being a single hammer beam with carved angels.

Monuments include a small monument to Edward King and his two wives with three kneeling figures, dated 1617, on the south side of the chancel. On the north side is another 17th-century niche monument with three kneeling figures. The chancel contains two large 19th-century wall tablets to George King (1822) and John Wm King (1875).