Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with medieval origins, largely re-built in the 19th century. The 13th and 15th century west tower was retained, and the church was rebuilt by S. Pountney Smith in 1846. It is constructed of regularly coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings, and has machine tile roofs with coped verges. The church includes a nave, chancel, west tower, and a south porch.

The west tower has three stages; the lower two dates back to the 13th century, and the top stage is from the late 15th century, with embattlement. It features cusped two-light windows with hood moulds, carved heads as label stops to the belfry, a string course below the parapet with gargoyles at the corners, and short lancets on the north and south sides. A clock from about 1814 is located on the west side. The late 15th century west window of three lights to the ground stage has cusped panel tracery and a hood mould with carved heads as label stops.

The nave has three buttressed bays and two-light Gothic-style windows with hood moulds. A gabled porch projects from the first bay to the west on the south side. The chancel has two bays and a high, chamfered plinth with lancets and scrolled label stops. A pointed doorway is in the centre of the south side, and the east window consists of three stepped lancets.

Inside, there is a pointed double-chamfered tower arch dying at the responds, and King-post roofs to the nave and chancel with a pointed chancel arch. Features include re-positioned late 18th century box pews, a 12th century circular font with a circular pedestal and plinth, and an oak chest with three fleur-de-lys strap hinges, likely from the medieval period. Stained glass by David Evans of Shrewsbury is in the chancel and the west window, including medallions in Flemish style to the east window. A brass depicting a knight and lady (about 1480) is in the chancel; this is believed to be Sir Richard Lacon, Sheriff of the county, and his wife, alongside figures of their eight sons and five daughters. A primitively carved wall memorial is on the north side to Benjamin Jenks, the rector who died in 1724; beneath this are a 17th and an 18th century headstone to members of the Harnage family, moved from the churchyard. A wall tablet to Jenks’s first wife is in the tower, and two 18th century hatchments of the Harnage family flank the chancel arch. A tablet recording the rebuilding of the church is located in the tower.