Church of St Swithin

Church of St Swithin

Parish church with origins in the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations through the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The building was substantially restored in 1878 by Ewan Christian and again in 1968. It is constructed of coursed dressed stone with plain tile and slate roofs, ashlar dressings, chamfered plinths, chamfered eaves and coped gables with crosses.

The church comprises a south-west tower, nave, chancel, vestry, south aisle and south porch.

The tower dates from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries and stands in three stages. It features two string courses and a dentillated top band with coved eaves and an off-centre gargoyle on each side. A crenellated parapet is crowned with four crocketed pinnacles. Four buttresses with three setoffs support the structure, with those to the east engaged with the aisle and nave. The first stage has a square blank recess to the south and a restored 13th-century door with hood mould to the west. The second stage contains a chamfered 13th-century lancet and clock to the west. The third stage has four plain chamfered louvred double lancets.

The nave dates from the 14th century and comprises three bays. The west end has a triple lancet with ogee heads and Decorated tracery with hood mould. The north side has a buttress at each end with two setoffs. To the east is a restored early 14th-century double lancet with cusped heads and hood mould, and to the west a single 13th-century chamfered lancet.

The chancel was rebuilt in 1878 and has three bays. It features a buttress to the north-east and another to the north, with three trefoil-headed lancets. The east end has a triple lancet with cusped geometrical tracery.

The vestry is situated to the south and has a chamfered shouldered doorway to the east. The south side features an off-centre chamfered projection and five slit lights.

The south aisle dates from the 14th century and has been restored. It has a buttress to the south-east with two setoffs. The east end contains a 14th-century double lancet with Y tracery and above it a 19th-century trefoil window. The south side has a central 14th-century triple lancet with intersecting tracery.

The north porch is 19th-century in 13th-century style, with two flanking buttresses and a coped gable. It has a chamfered doorway with octagonal responds, bases and capitals, and hood mould. On each side is a chamfered lancet.

The interior features timber beams with common rafter roofs and collars. The inner doorway is 19th-century, with double chamfer and rebate and hood mould. The nave south arcade dates from the 14th century and comprises three bays with a single octagonal pier and matching responds with moulded bases and capitals, plus a pseudo pier to the west. The arches are chamfered and rebated with hood moulds and central mask stops. 19th-century sill bands run throughout. The roof is a 19th-century principal rafter roof with arch braces. The south aisle contains a 13th-century restored tower arch with double chamfer and rebate and octagonal responds. Moulded sill bands are present. The east window contains stained glass by Kempe from 1878. Above it, the trefoil window has stained glass. The roof is a 19th-century common rafter roof with collars. The chancel arch dates from the 13th century and has been restored, with chamfer and rebate plus filleted roll mould. The hood mould has stops. The imposts are moulded corbels carrying two short shafts. A Perpendicular-style timber screen dates from the late 19th century and incorporates a pair of wrought iron gates. The chancel has moulded sill bands. The east end contains a 19th-century timber reredos and gradine with a window containing 19th-century stained glass. The south side has a 13th-century-style piscina to the east and an opening to the organ chamber to the west. The roof is a common rafter roof with collars and cusped arch braces. Fittings include a panelled octagonal ashlar font and pulpit, both 19th-century, along with 19th-century benches, stalls and desks, and a 20th-century lectern.

Monuments include an Egyptian-style tablet with a rose in low relief by Edwin Smith, erected to Elizabeth Peel in 1851, a 19th-century benefactions board, two war memorial tablets and a brass from 1871.