Parish Church Of St Swithun

The Parish Church of St Swithun is a church with origins dating back to the 13th century. The tower was rebuilt in 1658 and features a battlemented parapet and pinnacles added in 1810. The church underwent rebuilding and restorations in 1852 and from 1854 to 1855 by G.G. Place, with the chantry chapel being rebuilt in 1873 by G.F. Bodley. Further restoration took place in 1905. The church is constructed of ashlar and has low-pitched roofs behind battlements or parapets. It includes a chancel, north and south transepts, a central four-stage crossing tower, a nave with aisles, and a south porch. The windows predominantly feature Perpendicular tracery. Much of the four-bay chancel is from the 19th century, with some parts dating to the 17th century. The north transept is mainly medieval and has a five-light north window. The lower stages of the large and impressive tower are mostly blank, with paired bell chamber openings. The south window of the south transept is a five-light window. The nave clerestory has six three-light windows, while the north aisle has four and the south aisle has five, which, along with the south transept and west end, are supported by elaborate buttresses.

Inside, the chancel features a carved reredos, and there is an elaborate 19th-century pulpit alongside a 15th-century font that was restored in the 19th century. The arcades have finely carved foliage capitals, and the roofs are mainly from the 19th century, except for the south transept roof, which is dated 1656. The church contains a fine set of priests' and choir stalls, as well as an impressive set of pews in the nave and aisles. There are fragments of early glass in the west window of the south transept. A notable aspect of the church is the extensive collection of 19th-century stained glass by various artists, including Clayton and Bell, O'Connor, Wailes, Hardman, G. Shaw of Uppermill, Kempe, and Tower.