Church of St.Mary of the Purification

Church of St.Mary of the Purification

This is a parish church originating in the 15th century, with substantial later rebuilding. The west nave and south aisle were rebuilt in 1739, and the east part of the south aisle and chancel were re-erected in 1839. The building is constructed in ashlar with lead roofs.

The church comprises a tower, nave, south aisle, south porch, south outbuilding, south vestry with porch, and chancel.

The tower is a restored 15th-century structure set on a deep chamfered plinth of two stages and embattled with a single pinnacle at each angle. The west side has a single pair of arched lights with another similar pair above. Each side of the belfry has a single pair of arched openings now glazed. The west and east sides each have a single clock face above. The north wall is embattled with four 17th-century round arched windows each with architrave surround, imposts and keystone, alternating with five small 14th-century carved heads. The east wall is set on a chamfered plinth with an embattled east chancel having a single projecting bay with an arched window containing three arched and cusped lights, hood mould and label stops. The south wall is set on a chamfered plinth.

The south vestry has a gabled porch with pediment formed in the gable. A round arched 17th-century doorway with architrave surround, imposts and keystone is now part blocked with a single fixed light. In the re-entrant angle to the right is an arched doorway. To the left of the porch are five 17th-century round arched windows each with architrave surround, imposts and keystone. The gabled south porch is set on a chamfered plinth with slate roof and single ridge cross, with a pediment formed in the gable. A restored round arched entrance has architrave surround, imposts and keystone, with an inner similar doorway. To the left of the south aisle and set back is an outbuilding with an arched doorway with keystone. To the left is a single pointed arched opening with metal grille. Further left are the remains of a coffin slab with a decoratively carved 13th-century cross. The west wall has a single small rectangular opening. The embattled clerestory has six pairs of arched windows.

Interior

The interior contains a five-bay 1739 nave arcade with Tuscan columns with chamfered arches and keystones. A doorway accesses the tower. In the chancel is a doorway to the vestry. An 18th-century panelled west gallery is present, with 18th-century panelling to walls below sill level. A 15th-century octagonal ashlar font with panels decorated with blind tracery, mostly of panel form, stands on a pedestal and has a 20th-century cover. An early 19th-century pulpit, transferred from Southwell Minster around 1900, is decorated with blind tracery, fleurons, crockets and carved heads. A 17th-century chest and two chairs with carved backs are present, along with 19th-century pews. A panelled reredos with eight 17th-century panels decorated with foliate carving set into decorative arches was transferred from Southwell Minster.

Memorials include one to William Bilbie, 1787, surmounted by a draped urn. A memorial to Joseph Bilbie, 1747, has an arched head with foliate strips flanking the inscription. A memorial to William Bilbie, 1777, is by Christopher Theakston of Doncaster, topped with an urn and with an apron decorated with a shield. An alabaster monument to T. Leake, 1608, has a surround to the inscription decorated with a horn, skull, arrows, deer's head and other trappings of a Sherwood Forest Ranger, with a decorative shaped head above. A number of 19th-century memorials are present, along with a monument to those who died in the 1914-18 war. The single central south window contains stained glass by Mayer & Co. of Munich and London, 1874. A hymn board has King David crudely painted on the reverse by Sheppard, 1779.