Church Of The Holy Trinity

Church of the Holy Trinity

This is a substantial parish church with medieval origins, first built in the 12th century and substantially altered and enlarged over subsequent centuries. The church underwent major restoration and extension in 1894–1895. It is constructed of sandstone ashlar with plain tiled roofs, most of which are hidden behind parapets topped with cross finials at the gable ends. The older chancel retains its distinctive fishscale-tiled roof with decorative ridge tiles.

The building comprises a west tower, a three-bay nave with a south aisle and south porch, and a three-bay chancel in the medieval section. Adjoining to the north is a 19th-century extension consisting of a nave of three bays with a two-bay chancel. The architecture is predominantly in the Decorated style.

The west tower dates from the 15th century and rises in three stages with strings and a continuous plinth. Diagonal buttresses sit at its west end, and a 3-light west window provides light to the interior. Loopholes pierce the north and south sides at the intermediate stage. The bell chamber has 2-light louvred openings, and the tower is crowned with an embattled parapet and an octagonal spire featuring ogee-headed lucarnes and a weathervane. A stair turret occupies the south-east angle.

The nave retains mainly 13th-century work with some 12th-century fragments. The south aisle sits beneath a catslide roof and has buttresses at bay divisions. A 12th-century window survives in the west bay. The east bay has a 2-light 19th-century window, and the west end also features a 19th-century square-headed 3-light window. A restored 17th-century memorial to Richard Tristram stands adjacent to the east window. The south porch, a gabled 19th-century structure, has a heavily moulded archway with hoodmould and a pair of cusped openings in its side elevations. The round-headed south doorway incorporates 12th-century work and displays roll mouldings and double-shafted jambs.

The 14th-century chancel has angled buttresses at its east end on the south side and features a continuous sill string. Its windows are topped with hoodmoulds and head stops. The 3-light east window is accompanied by a cusped lancet above. The south elevation has three 2-light windows and a round-headed doorway.

The 19th-century nave has buttresses at bay divisions, with diagonal buttresses at the west end. A three-bay arcade runs along the west end, with the outer bays being blind and the central bay containing a double doorway. A 4-light window with hoodmould and sill string sits above, crowned by an ogee light in the apex. The north elevation displays a 3-light window, two 2-light windows, and an ogee-arched doorway incorporating 14th-century stonework. The 19th-century chancel features gabled buttresses with blind tracery at its east end, a 5-light east window with a rectangular light above, a 2-light north-west window, and a north-east doorway with a cambered head.

The interior of the old nave contains a largely 19th-century south arcade of two chamfered orders on concave octagonal columns. The north arcade is a 19th-century reconstruction with tall slender piers. The 16th-century chancel arch matches the style of the south arcade; in its south jamb is the entrance to the rood stair with remains of its mechanism, along with a cusped opening. A 15th-century tower arch is also present. Both the nave and chancel roofs date to the 17th century and feature collar and tie-beam trusses. The eastern nave tie-beam bears the inscription "WT: 1654: GW", while the western chancel tie-beam is inscribed "Laus Deo / This Roofe was new built at the / charge of Richard Tristram Rector / 1660".

The old chancel contains a large ogee-arched tomb recess, 15th-century sedilia, and a 13th-century reset piscina. A 17th-century panelled reredos and altar rails are in place, along with a traceried chancel screen. The south aisle houses a 13th-century cusped piscina and remains of wall paintings.

The church retains a 15th-century font with an octagonal bowl and quatrefoil panels. A Jacobean octagonal pulpit features a dragon frieze, strapwork, and grotesque corbels, with a similarly styled and dated lectern. The old chancel contains numerous ornately detailed 18th- and 19th-century memorials.

Some medieval glass fragments survive in a nave window. The south aisle east window and south chancel window are by Kempe.

This church is notable for retaining a considerable proportion of its medieval fabric. Its 17th-century roofs and furnishings are of particular interest, providing evidence of the church's architectural history and the generosity of patrons such as Richard Tristram, who funded the roof replacement in 1660.