Church of St Mary and lychgate

Church of St Mary and Lychgate

A timber-framed mission church and lychgate constructed under instruction of the Bishop of Worcester in the late 19th century.

The church is timber framed on a red brick plinth with a single course of blue chamfered brick. It has a blue Welsh slate roof with a red-tiled ridge. The rectangular plan has protrusions to the west and east housing the vestry and porch entrance respectively.

The building is a single storey structure with a steeply pitched roof and a bellcote to the south. The timber framing is infilled with a combination of rough cast and smooth render, set upon a red brick plinth. Surrounding the building are outriggers of brick plinth within which are set cast iron brackets supporting the timber framing posts.

The principal elevation faces eastwards. A large double-height timber projecting porch, located off-centre, dominates the frontage. The porch is gabled with barge boards and a cross-shaped finial to the gable end. A stone step leads to timber double doors flanked by leaded light windows. To the right is a large five-light leaded window with small top-hung casements above. Below the central pane is a foundation stone inscribed 'Laid by Mrs Philpott 1882'.

The rear elevation mirrors this arrangement, with an off-centre projecting gabled porch housing the vestry and an off-centre five-light window. The porch is topped with a cross-shaped finial but has no external entrance. A two-light window occupies the upper portion of the porch.

The north and south elevations are gabled and topped with cross-shaped finials. The north elevation features a tall, narrow three-light window with three small panes above. The south elevation has a wider six-light tall window with four smaller glazed panes above.

A small cast iron ventilator with a slate hipped roof rises towards the centre of the roof. The bellcote at the southern end is a combined timber and iron frame with a slate roof and slate cladding to the lower section.

Internally, the church forms a single space accessed via the porch, with the vestry at the north-western angle. The porch walls are roughly finished plaster, except the wall housing the church entrance which is boarded. A pair of doors with decorative iron brackets leads into the nave, above which is a framed coat of arms inscribed 'Henry Philpott Bishop of Worcester 1882'.

The nave and vestry walls are formed of V-jointed dado boarding with stained timber framing and wall panels above. The nave ceiling contains four timber and iron scissor brace trusses with exposed rafters and diagonal boarding above. A small access hatch at the south end leads to the bellcote. The vestry roof is similar with exposed rafters and diagonal boarding.

An oak communion rail separates the nave from the sanctuary beyond the vestry door. The rail comprises two fixed sections with a removable central section; each fixed section has three bays with shouldered braces featuring three trefoil cutouts. Beyond the rail stands a centrally located oak altar in three sections with floral engravings to the outer sections and a central IHS engraving within a crown of thorns. An oak prie dieu with kneeler, featuring an engraved floral pattern, stands on the eastern side.

The nave contains simple unfitted pews with open backs divided into three segments, chamfered ends, and chamfered cutouts at the base. Moveable choir stalls face the aisle with fronts featuring chamfered cutouts in barbed quatrefoil form. Near the porch entrance is a cedar wood octagonal font on a fluted pedestal with a curved chamfer base; the eight sides feature alternate carvings of trefoil or cross.

The lychgate stands at the eastern side of the churchyard leading to the main road. It has a steeply pitched roof, dwarf walls with timber framing and open panels above, and low gates to the street. Each gable end is topped with a cross-shaped finial. A plaque above the entrance reads 'IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE OF H. PHILPOTT, BISHOP OF WORCESTER' whilst a plaque above the exit reads 'JESUS WEPT.'