Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with a core dating to the 12th century, significant work from the early 14th century, 15th-century features, and substantial rebuilding in the 17th century. The building is constructed of finely coursed, squared, and dressed yellow sandstone, with lead roofs largely concealed behind parapets. It comprises a west tower, a nave with north and south aisles, a south porch, and a chancel.

The five-stage west tower has thin buttresses rising three stages, stepping in below the bell chamber. A string with gargoyles sits below a plain parapet, which features small, crocketed pinnacles at the angles. The C17 bell chamber has round-arched openings with two-light panel tracery (with transoms) and lancets below. A blind, round-arched west window has pilasters in a double reveal over a 3-light panel tracery window. The nave has a C17 clerestory and a crenellated parapet; rainwater heads bear the date 1810. The north aisle consists of three buttressed bays with a crenellated parapet and two labelled, almost round-arched C17 three-light windows resting on a moulded cill band, with a pointed entrance in the smaller east bay; east and west end windows have intersecting tracery. The south aisle is similar in design to the north, with three bays, three-light, labelled square-headed windows, and a pointed three-light east and west end window. The circa 1300 south door is pointed, with a deep moulded reveal, three pilasters, ball-flower ornamentation towards the extrados, and a moulded finial. The south porch has a rib vault and a solid stone roof with a pointed outer entrance. The late 13th-century chancel, of four bays, is divided by thin buttresses rising two stages, and features pointed three-light windows with moulded, deep reveals and intersecting tracery. The east window is similar, but five-light, with fleuron decoration at the intersections of the tracery. A Tudor arch provides access to the chancel on the south side.

Internally, the four-bay nave has a pointed arcade with circular columns, although the central column on the north side is octagonal and the one on the south side is clustered. A pointed chancel arch, dating to the early 13th century, has steps leading up to the chancel. The nave roof has a low pitch with stubby posts off moulded tie beams carrying moulded purlins. The chancel roof is similar with panel tracery between the tie beam and the roof. The aisle roofs are of the 19th century, with pent tie beams. A C19 stone pulpit has four sides of an octagon with arcading. The C12 font is drum-shaped with low relief carving depicting a donkey. Circa 1535 choir stalls have poppyhead finials. A C14 cross-legged knight effigy is located to the north of the chancel, and an effigy of Godfrey Foljambe and his wife rests to the south on an alabaster crest dating to circa 1560. Four marble plaques are located to the east of the south aisle, including one dedicated to the Phillips family of Tean House. A hatchment is displayed above the south door. There is C14 glass within the chancel.