Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a church dating from the 13th century, with additions from the 14th century and a 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of limestone ashlar and rubble, with a stone slate roof. The church comprises a west tower, a nave, a lower chancel, and a north porch.

The three-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses, an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles and gargoyles. The bell openings are of two trefoiled lights with a foliate opening under a pointed head. The west window is of three lights under a pointed head with reticulated tracery; its hoodmould is adorned with carved animals as stops. The eaves height of the nave has been raised using ashlar blocks. The south side of the nave features a window of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head with a quatrefoil. To the right of this window is a pointed doorway and a buttress with an attached chimney. Further to the right is a window of three trefoiled lights under a straight-sided pointed head with intersecting tracery, set within a blocked pointed arch that indicates a demolished south chapel. The north side of the nave has three windows of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head with a quatrefoil. A gabled porch with an outer stop-chamfered pointed doorway is located between the second and third windows. The south wall of the chancel has a narrow window with a flat head to the left of a priest’s door, which has plain reveals and a blocked round arch above a lintel. To the right of the priest’s door is a window of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head. The north side of the chancel contains two double-chamfered lancet windows, the right-hand one featuring a trefoiled head. The east window is of three cinquefoiled lights under a pointed head with tracery.

Inside, the pointed and chamfered tower arch has engaged round columns with moulded caps. The nave has a collar-rafter roof with soulaces and three moulded tie beams. The chamfered chancel arch is depressed and two-centred. A side-purlin roof, featuring three trusses with raking struts between collars, moulded tie beams, and elbowed wind braces, sits above the chancel. A piscina with a pointed head is set into the south wall. The chancel screen has traceried openings and is largely late medieval. Memorials in the chancel include a marble cartouche with cherubs’ heads, a skull, and a shield of arms, commemorating Mrs Rebecca Parry, who died in 1704, and John Parry, who died in 1714. The octagonal font is carved with ropework and other decoration, and appears to be re-tooled, possibly made from reused stone.