Church Of St Catherine

The Church of St Catherine is a building of group value, dating to the 12th century with significant additions and alterations in the 14th century and a rebuilt upper stage to the tower in the 18th century. It is constructed of sandstone rubble, partially rendered, with ashlar dressings. The roof is tiled, with ashlar coped gables and a deep, rendered eaves soffit. A pyramid roof tops the tower, bearing a weather vane.

The church's plan incorporates a chancel, nave, west tower, and south porch. The chancel features diagonal corner buttresses and a string course. Its east window is a Decorated style, 3-light design with reticulated tracery. Three broad, arched recesses are present on the north wall, two with cusped decoration, while the south wall has a corresponding single recess. Decorated style, 2-light windows with trefoil vesica are set within the north and south walls, and a lancet is situated on the north side. A small, blocked doorway on the south wall bears carved, low-relief semicircular cable and roll ornamentation.

The nave’s north wall contains a blocked and rendered round-headed doorway, a 12th-century round-headed lancet window, and a Decorated style pointed window with twin cusped lancets and a trefoil above. The south wall mirrors the north wall’s window and features two chamfered blocked openings, two broad, cusped lancets, and a late 12th-century doorway with a moulded round-headed arch, a keel and lozenge pattern outer arch-ring, deep moulded abaci, and filleted shafts with capitals displaying undercut foliage and a scallop with a rosette. A simple, tiled gabled porch covers this doorway.

The west tower has three stages with clasping buttresses. Lancet windows are present on three faces of the lower stages, except for a restored pointed west doorway. The upper stage has twin bell openings with round-headed arches and keyblocks on all faces, and topped with battlemented parapets. The upper stage of the west face is dated 1720.

Inside, a single moulded tie beam is visible within the otherwise plastered interior. A pointed arch marks the tower’s opening. Early 18th-century communion rails feature turned balusters and an inscription reading 'TITUS WATUS-1716-CLARK GAVE THIS REAILE'. Two small shiela-na-gigs are placed on either side of the south door. The font is a late 12th or 13th century design, featuring a 16-sided, fluted, panelled bowl and a cylindrical stem. A Gothick-style panelled front forms the west gallery, dating to the 18th century.