Church Of St Lucia

Church of St Lucia

Parish church dating from the early 12th century and late 15th century, partly rebuilt and restored in 1856 by G.E. Street. The building is constructed of dressed red and grey sandstone with additions in rock-faced grey sandstone, all with ashlar dressings, beneath plain tile roofs.

The church comprises a 12th-century nave and chancel, a late 15th-century west tower, south porch, and a north aisle and vestry added in 1856.

The tower rises in two external stages, founded on a chamfered plinth with diagonal buttresses featuring six off-sets and trefoil-headed and quatrefoil panelled top stages. String courses are carved with heads, with the top course forming a hoodmould over the belfry openings. A semi-hexagonal stair turret to the south-east broaches to a square first stage and contains small rectangular windows. Below the parapet is a carved quatrefoil frieze with corner gargoyles, and the battlemented parapet supports a pyramidal cap with weathervane. The louvred belfry openings contain two trefoil-headed lights with quatrefoil tracery and hollow-chamfered reveals. A small 2-light square-headed opening below the belfry to the west has a hoodmould with carved wreathed stops. The large first-stage west window contains three trefoil-headed lights with panelled tracery, hollow-chamfered reveals, and a hoodmould with carved head at the apex and carved heads as stops. A clock sits beneath the belfry opening to the north.

The nave has a large 19th-century buttress to the south-east and a semi-integral 19th-century stack to the north-east with square base, circular shaft, and moulded cap. Coped parapeted gables mark the gable ends. On the south front are two 14th-century windows to the right, each with two ogee trefoil-headed lights and double-chamfered reveals, the left one containing a quatrefoil in tracery. A round-arched south doorway to the left holds a 19th-century boarded door with elaborate ironwork. The 19th-century porch has a chamfered plinth, parapeted gable, chamfered archway with moulded imposts and a hoodmould with dog-tooth decoration, chamfered circular quatrefoil side windows, and side benches within.

The chancel has 19th-century angle buttresses to the east and a parapeted gable end. Pairs of small 12th-century round-arched windows appear to the north and south, those to the east slightly higher, and there is a blocked round-arched priest's door to the south. Chamfered stepped triple lancets face east.

The north aisle is a buttressed lean-to with cill string and parapeted verges. Its parapeted gable to the left contains a window with three trefoil-headed lights, a large quatrefoil in tracery and chamfered reveals; two one-light diamond-leaded trefoil-headed windows appear to the right. The west end has a window with two trefoil-headed lights and trefoil plate tracery. The north vestry is a buttressed lean-to with parapeted verge, featuring a chamfered rectangular window to the right and a boarded door to the left with elaborate ironwork and chamfered reveals.

The interior contains a 19th-century four-bay nave roof with moulded braces springing from corbels to tie-beam, king posts, and quatrefoil panels. The chancel roof is single-framed 19th-century work with delicate painted flower decoration and a battlemented frieze. A 19th-century three-bay north aisle arcade has octagonal piers on large moulded bases with moulded capitals and chamfered arches springing from corbels at the ends. The tower arch is 15th-century work with chamfered profile and moulded capitals. The 19th-century chancel arch features an inner chamfer springing from corbels and an outer moulding and hoodmould with carved stops. A chamfered-arched vestry doorway holds a boarded door with elaborate ironwork. Windows have chamfered rear arches and reveals.

A 17th-century stone font, restored in the 19th century, stands on a quatrefoil-shafted stem on a moulded base. The large octagonal bowl is dated "IP RF/1628 IW" and was given a 19th-century wooden top. The 19th-century fittings, probably by Street, include a stone pulpit, low stone chancel screen, choir stalls, altar rails, and reredos.

A monument in the tower to Walter Barker (died 1644) features a semi-reclining figure, Corinthian pilasters flanking an oval panel behind and supporting an open segmental pediment with shield, and a plinth decorated with strapwork. Other late 18th or early 19th-century memorial tablets are present. The church contains mid- and late 19th-century stained glass.