Church Of St Cuthbert

Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church dating from the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th centuries. It underwent extensive repairs in 1924. The church is constructed of sandstone rubble and ashlar with tiled roofs. The building comprises a west tower, a six-bay nave externally continuous with a two-bay chancel, with corresponding south aisle and south chapel, a north chapel and a south porch.

The west tower dates from the 14th century and has two external stages divided by a string course. It features a plain parapet with upstands to the corners and a cornice beneath the parapet with two waterspouts to each side. Diagonal weathered buttresses stand at the north-west and south-west corners, with a pier buttress at the north-east. Each side of the bell chamber has a central two-light opening with quatrefoil tracery, each light having a trefoiled head. The west side has a large square-headed opening to the upper part of the lower stage. A central chamfered doorway with a two-centred head and ledged door, perhaps 17th century, sits below a glazed opening with a similar head.

The north elevation of the nave has three pairs of trefoiled-ogee-headed lights with a weathered buttress between the centre and left-hand lights, which are 14th century. Above the right-hand pair is a gabled dormer with wooden Y-shaped glazing bars, possibly early 20th century. The north chapel to the left has two ogee and trefoil-headed restored lights with quatrefoil tracery and diagonal weathered buttresses. A glazed trefoil sits beneath a gable cross. The right-hand return has an early 20th-century doorway with a four-centred head and contemporary oak ledged door. The chancel has two more pairs of ogeed trefoiled lights, the left pair blocked internally and set higher than the right.

The east elevation of the chancel features a restored three-light window, each light with a cinquefoiled head and tracery above containing trefoils. It has a gable cross and verge, with a diagonal buttress to the right corner. A pier buttress to the left divides the chancel from the south chapel, which has a two-light window with trefoil tracery, each light with a trefoiled head, and a diagonal buttress to the left corner.

The south elevation is long and uninterrupted from the south porch on the left-hand side to the south chapel, with three weathered buttresses to the right of centre. The south aisle has a pair of trefoiled ogeed lights, a recessed 13th-century lancet, and a two-light ogeed and trefoiled 14th-century window with glazed spandrels set under a square head. The south chapel has another recessed but slightly smaller 13th-century lancet to the left and a restored two-light window with plain Y-tracery. The west window of the south aisle has two trefoiled ogeed lights and a large quatrefoil above. To its right, adjacent to the south porch, is a weathered diagonal buttress.

The south porch, perhaps 17th century, has a continuously moulded arch of two orders and a nail-studded oak door with strap hinges arching over a small inset wicket door with a 17th-century escutcheon and handle. The roof has late 19th or early 20th-century softwood scissor struts. 17th-century oak side benches with incised edges line the porch. The south doorway, similar to the outer doorway of the south porch but presumably 13th century, contains a late 19th or early 20th-century nail-studded two-leaved door.

The interior has two continuous plastered barrel ceilings to the two main areas and a wagon roof to the north chapel. The 14th-century arcade separating the nave from the south aisle has double-chamfered two-centred arches with the inner order dying into the jambs. The eastern pier was inserted in 1924. The chancel and south chapel are divided by two bays with four central 13th-century clustered shafts and two-centred double-chamfered arches. The west respond has a large keel-moulded impost; the last is a corbelled triple shaft. The doorway into the tower has a two-centred arch with three chamfered orders. The arch into the north chapel, partly obscured by an early 20th-century oak glazed screen and gallery in the form of a rood screen, has a round to elliptical head, possibly 16th century.

The piscina in the chancel is 13th century with a square head and oblong drain. Another in the south chapel has a trefoiled chamfered head and octofoil drain. Immediately west of this piscina is a low stone window seat. The font is late 17th century with a circular bowl on a cylindrical stem with a moulded base. The stem has swags and rosettes; the bowl has cherubs. A round stone bowl with ears stands near the entry into the north chapel.

The church contains several significant Scudamore monuments. Under the east arch between the chancel and south chapel is the monument for John Scudamore and his wife Sibell Vaughn of Hargast, circa 1550. The two alabaster figures lie supine praying, he in armour with feet resting on a dog-sized lion, gauntlets and armour at his side; she wearing a long gown and gently curving cord with round pendant. The chest tomb beneath has panels with shields of arms divided by tapered Renaissance pilasters and blackletter inscription.

On the north wall of the chancel is a monument for John Scudamore, died 1668, large and Baroque in white marble. Two enriched pilasters supported by garlanded volutes rise to a coved cornice above which is a pair of urns flanking arms set in a cartouche. Framed by the pilasters is a gadrooned sarcophagus with inscriptions in a cartouche between two cherub-heads. Above, two flying cherubs holding a wreath appear from behind curtains and hover over the wigged figure of Scudamore who, in Roman dress, half sits up from his cushions and extends his right hand with a bewildered and indifferent expression, as if about to say, "So what", in a way which seemingly contradicts his inscription, "ARMIGER NATUS". To the left is the wall monument to his widow, Jane, died 1690. Again Baroque in grey-flecked white marble, with cherubs to either side of a garlanded obelisk set in front of a segmental pediment and two pairs of pilasters. Beneath a gadrooned lower cornice is the draped inscription surrounded by six cherub heads.

In the south aisle, a wall monument commemorates John Scudamore, "Vicecomitis de SLYGO & Baroni de DROMORE in Regno HIBERNIAE", died 1716. Made of marble with a large pair of fluted Ionic columns supporting a broken segmental pediment. Between the columns is an obelisk and two putti sitting on a sarcophagus with two wreathed skulls. On the east wall of the south chapel is a white marble monument to Mary Scudamore Stanhope, died 1859, by Matthew Noble. In neo-classical style with a life-size female figure in a hemi-domed niche, restrainedly decorated with palmettes and a projecting curved plinth. In the north chapel, another marble wall monument by Noble, for Chandos Scudamore Stanhope, Captain RN, died 1871, consists of an angel rising from rock on which is an anchor. Several 17th-century floor slabs are present, some of which are re-cut medieval coffin lids.

The stained glass in the east window of the south chapel depicts Cornelius and the Angel and has the inscription: "Edwyn Francis Brydges Scudamore Stanhope Capt 59th Regt Obit Sept 1855 aetat 29/ Bell pinxit Bristol 1856". The east window of the chancel is for Robert Lucas-Tooth, died 1915, and shows the Archangel Michael weighing souls. The north window of the chancel has fragments of late-medieval glass with several heads including a crowned and nimbed Christ. The east window of the south wall of the south aisle shows The Good Samaritan for William Pitt Scudamore Stanhope, vicar 1872 to 1892. The nave window of the north chapel has figures of Sir Galahad and Sir Bors for 'Archibald Leonard Lucas Lucas-Tooth Bart Major HAC', died on active service 1918. On the right-hand reveal is his battlefield grave marker cross. Nearby is a small plaque for two men from the parish who died in World War II. The window of the north chapel is for Henry Edwyn Chandos, Earl of Chesterfield, died 1887 and has Christ with the inscriptions, "I am the Good Shepherd" and "The Light of the World".

The east wall of the chancel has 17th-century panelling in front of which is a contemporary communion table with a later top. Two sets of choir stalls, perhaps 15th century, stand one to each side of the arch to the north chapel. One is a three-seater, the other a two-seater, with dividing arms featuring angels holding shields and misericords including a bird and a large grotesque face. Near the east window of the chancel are two late 17th-century chairs with high elaborately carved backs. A chest in the south aisle about four feet by 18 inches by 18 inches is oak with double locks, perhaps 17th century. A small oak table on high turned legs, perhaps 17th century, is near the west window of the south aisle. Several 17th-century benches with turned legs and open backs are present; those to the east of the nave have re-used panels with arabesques formed into desks. A lectern with a gilded eagle and oak plinth is inscribed: "SELWYN: LUCAS-TOOTH: EVERILD: LE TOUQUET 1914". Several hatchments on the north and south walls bear Scudamore, Stanhope and Brydges mottos including "IN COELO QUIES", "SCUTO AMORI DIVINI", and "SOLO VIRTUS INVICTA". Near the south door is a benefactions board dated 1790.