Church Of St Mary Magdalene

This parish church dates from the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, with restorations carried out in 1865, 1894–6 and 1920–5. It is built of roughly coursed sandstone rubble and brick, partly rendered, with sandstone ashlar and dressings. The roofs are of lead and Welsh slate. The church comprises a south-west tower, a five-bay aisled nave with north chapel, and a chancel with north chapel.

The Tower

The tower is 14th-century, partly rendered, with an embattled parapet and a conical roof to the newel stair at the north-west corner. It has five stages externally undivided, with a chamfered plinth and weathered angle buttresses rising to the bottom of the top stage.

The west side has one chamfered central square-headed opening to the middle stages. To the left is a projecting cylindrical newel corbelled at the bottom, containing four loop lights and topped with an obelisk finial. The top stage has a pair of trefoil-headed chamfered openings under a square head with hoodmould and stops.

The north side has similar openings to the top stage and a lancet to the next lower stage, partly masked by a clock face. The east side again has similar top stage openings, one central loop to the next lower stage and two irregularly placed loops beneath.

The south side at the top has two trefoil-headed openings with trefoiled tracery under a two-centred moulded head with label and stops. Between the tops of the angle buttresses is a central clock face, beneath which is an opening with a two-centred head within a more pointed chamfered super-arch. This opening contains an eight-paned window. Above the south doorway is a chamfered lancet. The south doorway at the base of the tower has a two-centred arch of three orders. The inner two have continuous mouldings; the outer has short imposts which also stop a label.

West Elevation

The west elevation of the nave has a traceried main window of five restored cinquefoil-headed lights beneath a two-centred arch. Above is a low gable with cross. To the left of the window is a 12th-century blocked doorway with a round head and attached colonettes with foliated capitals. Above the former doorway and around the west window are occasional bricks, possibly 18th-century. Each aisle has a single lancet, that to the north the more restored, with a diagonal buttress to the left.

North Elevation

The north elevation of the nave has a deep plinth with continuous weathering beneath three deeply recessed sharply pointed traceried aisle windows. Their chamfered heads die into the jambs. Each window has two restored trefoil-headed ogeed lights. Between the centre and right-hand window is a weathered buttress. The aisle has a plain parapet and coved frieze with water spouts in the form of lions' heads.

Above the aisle are three clerestory windows, each having a pair of recessed trefoil-headed lights with deep mouldings set beneath a flat triangular outer arch. To the left the aisle returns northwards by one window, forming the north nave aisle chapel. In the angle is a water spout designed as a gryphon.

The north nave aisle chapel has two windows, both similar to those of the north aisle—one facing west, the other north. There is a diagonal buttress to the north-west corner and a weathered buttress to the east at the junction with the main north chancel chapel, at which point the continuous cove ends in another lion's head spout.

The main north chapel has three windows, each with a two-centred head, quatrefoil tracery and two ogeed trefoil-headed lights. It has four weathered buttresses, scattered bricks and half roll-moulding beneath the eaves. The gables have verges. A late 19th-century conical shafted stack stands on the south slope of the west verge.

East and South Elevations

The east elevation is partly rendered and has an entirely restored traceried window with a two-centred arch and five cinquefoil-headed lights. To either side is a weathered buttress. The chancel has a roll-moulded string above a low chamfered plinth. The east window, dating from around 1900, is traceried with five main lights divided by a transom into ten lights, all with cinquefoiled heads, the upper row also ogeed. Angle buttresses stand at the south-east corner.

The south side has a pair of wide late 19th-century lancets with roll-moulded heads and waterleaf capitals on colonnettes. The restored 13th-century central priest's door has a round moulded and chamfered head and jambs in three orders with shoulders. There is a corbel table, verges with kneelers, and gable crosses—one to the west and the stump of one to the east. The west gable is partly rendered.

The south elevation of the nave has three pointed two-light windows with quatrefoil tracery. Each light has an ogeed and trefoiled head. An embattled ashlar parapet rises above three weathered buttresses which rise to a string on which are three lions' head spouts. Bricks and brick fragments appear around the windows. Three clerestory windows are similar to those on the north side. The east window of the aisle resembles those on the south side.

Interior

The interior has heavy timbers beneath the first stage of the tower, which forms the entrance porch. Also under the tower are moulded corbels and a ledged door at the head of three steps leading to the newel. In the south-east corner are some high wrought-iron railings, with one rail forming a small enclosure. The inner side of the south doorway of the tower has a triangular two-centred head.

The doorway from the tower to the south aisle is 13th-century with two moulded orders. The inner one is more deeply moulded with a continuous fillet to the jambs. The outer order on single detached shafts with water-holding bases and circular moulded capitals supports another fillet-moulded order. The label is roll-moulded and runs out into concave chamfered jambs. Above the doorway is a two-centred relieving arch.

The roof of the nave is 15th-century with low moulded principals supported by angle braces on corbels and divided into five bays. The slopes are panelled and have enriched bosses at the junctions. The chancel roof is restored with swept braces supporting collars carrying V-struts. The braces are carried on horizontal members supported from corbels. Apart from the single-framed wagon roof of the main north chapel, the remaining roofs are smaller equivalents of the nave roof.

Chancel Fittings

The chancel has a restored cinquefoil-headed piscina with no drain. Three 14th-century sedilia each have a two-centred to round outer arch and trefoil-headed inner arch. The reredos is 15th- or 16th-century but fragmentary, consisting of bands of cinquefoil-headed panels separated by a quatrefoiled frieze and crocketted framing. In the centre is an early 20th-century reredos of Christ in Majesty dedicated to 18 former pupils of the local school who gave their lives in the Great War.

The choir stalls, perhaps from Wigmore Abbey according to the Buildings of England, are probably 15th-century, restored in the late 19th century. They comprise six-seater benches with restored crocketted ogeed and carved canopies to each side. Those to the south side have a set of figurative misericords; those to the north are heavily restored with replaced arm-rests. There are corresponding desks to each side. That to the south has 15th-century poppy-head ends above ogees with lions and various figures. The 20th-century north desk is inscribed: "M G R R V 1910–35".

A chest on the north side is perhaps 17th-century, about eight feet long with strap hinges, two locks and a late 19th- or 20th-century lid. Communion rails are late 19th-century with wrought-iron foliated supports. Stained glass in the east window depicting the Crucifixion and Ascension is for Colonel John (surname unclear), dated 187(?).

The chancel arch is late 19th-century with a chamfered two-centred head resting on two corbels—one with a queen's head, the other a king's—from which rise attached shafts with waist-bands and stiff-leaf capitals.

North Chapel and Arcade

The main north chapel is separated from the chancel by a 14th-century arcade of three bays. Pointed double-chamfered arches rest on octagonal piers with deeply moulded abaci. Above the centre arch is a corbel for an earlier roof. The eastern respond has a small ogee-headed niche. The south wall above the arcade has a keel-moulded string.

A 15th-century traceried screen in six panels has cinquefoil-headed panelling, ogees and crockets. One panel has a nodding ogee. A large wall monument on the west side commemorates Banastre Tarleton, Baronet, who died in 1833, depicted as a book resting on a plinth with military trophies. The west window on the north side has stained glass depicting the Good Shepherd for John Thomas Chambers, who died in 1889. The left light reads: "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way". The right: "Behold I even I will both search my sheep and seek them out".

A large late 19th-century organ with pine case is inscribed: "Nicholson & Co / Palace Yard / Worcester". The pointed 14th-century arch into the north aisle dies into the jambs.

The north nave aisle chapel has a 14th-century piscina with a trefoiled arch under a square head and trefoiled spandrels. A deep moulded string runs along the east wall. Fragments of medieval glass survive in the tracery of the north window. An early 17th-century communion table is of oak.

Nave

The nave has a 13th-century south arcade with round piers and abaci. The north arcade, which is 14th-century, has octagonal piers and abaci. The earlier arcade has chamfered pointed arches; the later one has double chamfers. Above the arcades are corbels for an earlier roof.

The font is 14th-century with an octagonal bowl, ogees on the curved underside and a late 19th-century square base. A low wall dividing the nave from the chancel has blind recessed quatrefoils and ballflower decoration. Three wooden angels attached to piers, probably 15th-century, hold shields. One is inscribed in paint: "RC", the other: "GG EA JS CW CW 1811(?) 1828".

A table is made of fragments of 15th-century wooden tracery with ogeed heads. A restored re-mounted 16th-century clock has a wrought-iron and brass mechanism. Beneath the west window is a memorial to the 37 men of the parish who fell from 1914 to 1919. The west window of the Annunciation and Nativity, for John Clarke Prescott who died in 1863, is inscribed: "Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee. Thou son of David have mercy on us. Thou art my beloved son in thee I am well pleased".

South Aisle

The south aisle has a chamfered pointed 19th-century doorway under the newel of the tower. Stained glass in the south-east window for Herbert Crawshay, who died in 1907, depicts St Peter and St Mary Bethany. The west window is for Mary Louise Crawshay, who died in 1869, with Christ and St Mary Magdalene, inscribed "JESUS called a child unto HIM". The central south window is for Lt Col Hugh Henry Gough dated 1913 and illustrating "COURAGE" with the inscription "BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH & I WILL GIVE THEE THE CROWN OF LIFE".