Church Of St Egwin

The Church of St Egwin is a parish church dating to the 15th century, with substantial restoration work carried out in 1844. It is constructed of coursed lias rubble with ashlar dressings and has a stone slate roof. The church comprises a chancel, nave, a south porch, a north transept, and a west tower.

The two-stage west tower is of 15th-century origin, featuring offset and diagonal buttresses, corner pinnacles, and gargoyles within a crenellated parapet. The belfry contains openings of two trefoiled lights within a square head. At the west end of the nave are two lancet windows, with squinches cut into the tower. The nave itself is largely the result of the 1844 restoration and has four bays with diagonal buttresses at the corners. The south porch is situated in the centre bay and its doorway has an arch composed of three stones forming three sides of an octagon, with an internal cusp. The windows are of two trefoiled lights under square heads.

The chancel, largely restored in 1844, dates to the 14th century and consists of two bays. A window on the left features a cinquefoiled head and a square label, while the window to the right has two trefoiled lights under a segmental pointed head. The east window is 19th-century in design, featuring three trefoiled lights within a 2-centred head.

The north transept has two bays and a north window designed with four cinquefoiled lights under a 2-centred head.

Inside, the tower arch is pointed and consists of two chamfered orders, the inner order featuring respond shafts. The chancel arch is 19th-century and similarly pointed. The arch to the north chapel is also pointed and of two orders. The nave roof comprises four bays, with tie-beams and collars, while the chancel roof has three bays with arch-brace collars and tie-beams. The transept contains a 14th-century common rafter roof, with arch-braces and ashlar pieces curved to form a 2-centred arch.

Among the furnishings is a 15th-century octagonal font, mounted on an octagonal pier, with quatrefoils. The church also has a 12th-century lectern, originally from Evesham, with a marble shaft on a 19th-century base. A 17th-century pulpit, featuring panelling and a blind tracery backboard, is also present. Part of the chancel is lined with linen fold panelling. The north transept contains three tombs of the Bigge family: Sir Thomas Bigge, who died in 1621, with an alabaster altar tomb and recumbent effigy, surmounted by a tester with Ionic columns of black marble; Thomas Bigge, who died in 1581, and his wife, depicted as recumbent effigies on an alternative altar tomb; and Sir Thomas Bigge, who died in 1613, and his wife, shown as kneeling figures under a semi-circular arch supported by Ionic columns. Hanging above the first two tombs are helms, crests, gauntlets, spurs, a tabard, and several banners.