Church Of St Mary And St Lawrence

The Church of St Mary and St Lawrence is a chapel-of-ease dating to 1781-84. It incorporates earlier material, likely from the 14th century. The church is constructed of ashlar and coursed squared rubble, with rusticated ashlar quoins of varying lengths, and has plain tile and slate roofs with coped verges.

The west tower has two stages, a chamfered parapet band, and a low parapet with corner pinnacles. A circular window with a moulded surround is set into the ground floor south side, and there are single-light belfry openings with semi-circular heads. The nave, with a north aisle and a south porch, has semi-circular arch windows with moulded surrounds and raised reeded keystones. A cyma recta moulded eaves cornice and a low parapet run along the top of the nave. The north aisle has plain windows with semi-circular arches. A gabled south porch, dated 1885, features a semi-circular outer arch with a dripstone springing from chamfered imposts, leading to a doorway with a shouldered head. The chancel has semi-circular arch windows with chamfered surrounds and a pointed south doorway. A single-bay vestry is located in the angle between the north aisle and the west tower, with a west door and a north window, both with semi-circular arches.

Inside, the north arcade has semi-circular arches springing from square section piers with cyma recta moulded capitals, and blind rectangular panels above the arches. A wide semi-circular chancel arch springs from moulded imposts. A chamfered west doorway has a semi-circular arch. The nave roof has tie beams supported on timber cantilevers, short stubby king-posts, one pair of purlins, and a ridge piece. The chancel roof features raking struts extending from tie beams to principals, shaped collars, one pair of purlins, and a ridge piece.

Fittings include a coat of arms of George IV dated 1829, a very plain 19th-century octagonal stone font with a moulded base, an early 19th century wooden pulpit with trefoil headed openwork panels, wall panelling to the chancel, and an early 19th century altar rail with cinquefoil headed arcading. Several wall plaques, each surmounted by an urn, are present. On the nave’s south wall is a monument to Sarah Cropper, who died in 1814, made of marble and featuring curtains drawn to each side of the inscription panel. In the chancel, north wall is a monument to Sampson Wheildon, who died in 1807, and on the south wall are monuments to William Marshall, who died in 1800, and Jane Wilmott, who died in 1843. The east window contains stained glass depicting a crucifixion scene, dating to 1936.