Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A parish church of mixed medieval and later date, comprising work from the 12th century onwards, with major restoration campaigns in 1667, 1892, and 1907. The building is constructed of dressed coursed rubble and ashlar with some brick, beneath slate roofs. It comprises a tower, nave with north aisle, north vestry, chancel, and south porch.

The Tower

The embattled tower stands prominently, topped with four crocketted pinnacles and seven worn gargoyles. It rises from a plinth with a heavy moulded band. A string course marks the division between two stages, the upper stage being of ashlar. The first stage dates to the 12th century and features ashlar quoins with a clasping stair turret at the south west corner, lit by single rectangular lights and marked by single round tie plates to the west and south. The arched west doorway has an inner chamfered arch and wooden door with hood mould. Above, under a flat head, is a 16th-century two-light window with single stone mullion, probably replacing an earlier arched opening. Single and paired round tie plates appear on the south, west, and north faces. Twenty-first-century clock faces occupy the south and west sides above. The bell chamber contains four arched, mid-13th-century double two-light openings with hood moulds; the south and east faces display single decorative shaped openings in the spandrel. Cross tie plates sit above all bell chamber openings.

The Aisles and Clerestory

A lean-to structure with ashlar quoins and an arched doorway in its north wall abuts the west wall of the north aisle. The buttressed north aisle features stone coping with kneelers to the west and east. Its fenestration includes one 16th-century window under a flat head, one 16th-century two-light window with flush quoin surround, single stone mullion and flat head, a single partly blocked opening now containing a casement with traceried head and hood mould, and three further 16th-century two-light windows with flush quoin surrounds, single stone mullions, and flat heads. The clerestory carries six similar but smaller two-light windows.

The Vestry and Chancel

The north vestry incorporates some red brick and a single protruding ashlar stack. It contains one window with three arched lights and stone mullions under a flat head. The stone-coped east wall, set on a plinth with kneeler, has a similar window. The chancel, also stone-coped with kneelers and set on a plinth, features clasping buttresses. Its east wall contains a large now-blocked opening holding an arched window with four arched lights, panel tracery, and hood mould. A string course runs beneath this window and continues around the north and south chancel walls. Above the window are inscribed the dates "Rebuilt 1892" and "1667". The south chancel wall has a central doorway with chamfered arch and hood mould, flanked by two 15th-century arched windows, each with three arched lights, panel tracery, and hood mould. Evidence of an earlier opening exists to the right of these windows.

The South Nave Wall and Porch

The buttressed south nave wall stands on a plinth with a heavy moulded band. It contains three 15th-century arched windows, each with three lights and tracery under a hood mould. Five round tie plates and three gargoyles punctuate this elevation. Between the westernmost windows stands the 13th-century south porch, set on a plinth with clasping buttresses, decorative eaves band, and impost band. Its arched entrance is formed by two engaged columns with worn and restored stiff leaf capitals. The arch is decorated with remnants of nailhead; the similarly decorated hood mould has worn head label stops. A sundial crowns the exterior. The inner 12th-century doorway displays an inner order of chevron to jambs and arch, an outer order of thick cable motif with hood mould, and mythical head label stops. Above is an incised circle and cross. The porch contains a double wooden door, and the west wall retains remnants of a decorated capital. A stone stoup stands in the north-east corner.

Interior

The nave arcade of six bays dates to the 13th century, featuring double-chamfered semi-circular arches now reinforced with 20th-century steel supports. The western respond and first column are circular with octagonal capitals; to the east follow two quatrefoil-plan columns with moulded capitals, then two octagonal columns and an eastern respond, all with moulded capitals. The double-chamfered tower arch has an inner arch supported on corbels and is crowned by a restored screen with remnants of 15th-century panel tracery. Evidence of heightening appears above. Round tie plates flank the arch. A chamfered chancel arch sits on octagonal responds. A double-chamfered arch connects the chancel to the organ chamber, its inner arch supported on corbels decorated with billet-type moulding. The north vestry doorway features a chamfered arch. The south chancel wall contains a piscina with dog tooth and nailhead moulding to jambs and arch; beneath the east window runs a string course with evidence of different window openings. The south doorway retains label stop remnants. The north aisle windows are arched internally, and a stone stoup decorated with dog tooth survives in the north aisle. A 17th-century oak chest with iron fittings stands in the nave. The font and furnishings date to the early 20th century. Two 18th-century floral-design candle holders appear on the east and south nave walls. The nave floor contains a worn slab of black marble, reputed to be the tomb of Robert Pierrepont, circa 1643.