Church Of St Edith

The Church of St Edith is a parish church with origins potentially dating back to the medieval period, although it was largely re-built in the 1853. The west tower is from 1773, and the building is constructed of uncoursed conglomerate rubble with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs. It consists of a nave and chancel under a single roof, a west tower, a north aisle, and a south porch.

The tower is in a Classical style, with three stages of differing heights and chamfered rusticated quoins. It features a parapet with urns at the corners, above a corbelled moulded cornice. The top belfry has four round-headed windows with Y-tracery, while the second stage has an oculus with four raised keystones. Below the west window, which also features raised keystones, is a stone slab that records the names of the rector and churchwardens responsible for the tower’s construction. A blocked west door is surrounded by a Gibbs surround, with a three-light mullion window now inserted in its place. A stone clock with painted numerals is on the south side of the second stage, thought to be from 1773. A round-headed door below, with a raised keystone and imposts, is approached by two flights of stone steps.

The nave has three bays, with two-light Gothic style windows. A gabled stone porch projects from the first bay on the south side. The chancel has a pointed south door and a highly cusped lancet window to the east, along with a Gothic style east window of three stepped lights with cusped trefoils and cinquefoils above. The gabled north aisle runs almost the entire length of the nave and chancel. This aisle features two widely spaced Gothic style windows on the north side, a pointed doorway in the north-east corner, and two-light windows at the east and west ends.

The interior presents a plain appearance from the mid- to late 19th century. It features an arch-braced roof in five bays, a west gallery lit by a semi-circular window contemporary with the tower, and a three-bay north arcade with pointed arches and circular piers. There are box pews and a plain, probably mid-19th century, octagonal font. No monuments of particular note are present. The church is situated within an elevated circular graveyard, indicative of an early origin, and affords extensive views of the surrounding countryside. The building is designated Grade II* for the quality of its west tower.