Church Of St Botolph

The Church of St. Botolph is a church with a history spanning the 14th, 16th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The chancel and portions of the tower date to the 14th century, the nave was largely rebuilt in the early 16th century, and the tower was reconstructed in the 16th century. A restoration took place around 1867, and a 19th and 20th century porch was added. The church is constructed of coursed squared sandstone, with the chancel east wall and tower of ashlar. The roofs are tiled, with the chancel and north side of the nave featuring a moulded cornice and parapet, and a cross finial; the tower and south side of the nave have moulded embattled parapets and cornices.

The church comprises a chancel, nave, west tower, and south porch, largely in the Perpendicular style. It consists of two bays in the chancel and three bays in the nave. Splayed and moulded plinths are present throughout. The chancel and nave have diagonal east buttresses of two offsets. The chancel has a 19th-century three-light east window, the old hood mould retaining remains of stops. A straight-headed two-light window with trefoiled lights and sunk spandrels is on the north side, with a similar single light to the south-west. A straight-headed two-light south-east window features reticulated tracery. The south porch has an ashlar base and an upper timber section, with a Tudor-arched entrance and traceried openings. A simple moulded doorway within leads to a 19th-century double-leaf door. A slate sundial dated 1867 sits above the porch. The 3-light south-east and north-east windows incorporate mullions, lancets, and tracery. A buttress is on the south side, while the north side displays traces of a blocked door, and a northwest buttress is also present.

The tower is of two stages, with a splay course between. The high first stage has diagonal west buttresses of four offsets. A restored three-light west window features deep, splayed jambs and a hood mould. The second stage has two-light openings with simple tracery, and pinnacles top the structure.

Inside the chancel, a small south-east piscina is present, and a small aumbry is located in the north corner. The 19th-century boarded barrel roof features moulded segmental arched braces, a moulded ridge, purlins and ribs, carved bosses, half-octagonal wall posts, and stone shield corbels. The chancel arch is of two chamfered orders; the outer is segmental pointed, and the inner has half-octagonal responds and moulded capitals. The nave’s northeast angle has a renewed moulded Tudor arch doorway and plank door leading to the former rood-loft stair, with a similar doorway above and to the right. A simple broad-chamfered Tudor arch gives access to the tower. The nave also features a 19th-century Perpendicular roof. The font, dating to around 1300 but partly renewed, is octagonal with blind trefoiled arcading, rosettes, and fleurs-de-lys, set on a round base, and it has a 19th-century lid. Hooks are attached to the chancel arch for a Lentern veil. Remains of painted Royal arms are visible below the tower, along with a dated 1819 charities board above the blocked north door, and an old iron-bound chest. A pulpit dated 1920 completes the furnishings.