Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church that dates back to the 12th century, with later additions from the 13th and 15th centuries. It underwent significant rebuilding between 1875 and 1876, led by Sir Arthur Blomfield. The church is constructed of coursed ironstone with ashlar dressings and features clay tile roofs. Its layout includes a chancel, a central tower, north and south transepts, a nave, and north and south aisles.

The chancel, which dates from the 13th century, has an east elevation featuring three 19th-century lancet windows. The north and south elevations each have a lancet window in the eastern bay, a 15th-century three-centred three-light window in the western bay, and a small blocked square-headed window in between. The south elevation also includes a 15th-century four-centred doorway.

The tower, which is from the 12th century, consists of three stages, with the top stage added or rebuilt in the 15th century. It has round-headed arches on all sides of the ground stage, plain except for simple moulding on the west side. The north arch has been partly rebuilt in the 19th century. The second stage features a 12th-century loop on each side, while the top stage has 15th-century two-light windows in the bell stage and a 19th-century embattled parapet.

The transepts, originally from the 12th century but reworked in the 15th century, are each illuminated by a 15th-century four-light cinquefoiled window with a flat head. The north transept now serves as a vestry and organ chamber, while the south transept has its east wall rebuilt in the 15th century, which includes a staircase for the tower. Both transepts feature 19th-century embattled parapets.

The nave and aisles were rebuilt in 1875-6 and include three-bay pointed-arched arcades. The clerestory has six pairs of single lights on each side, and the aisles contain three-light windows under flat heads—three in the north aisle and two in the south aisle. The south aisle also features a pointed-arched doorway in a slightly projecting gable.

Inside, there is a 15th-century twelve-sided font located in the south aisle. The east walls of the north and south transepts have altar recesses with four-centred heads and carved panel decorations, retaining traces of paint. The north transept's recess is set within a blocked semi-circular archway. The south transept contains brasses commemorating John Meptyshale (died 1440) and his wife, as well as John Boteler (died 1441) and his wife. The chancel wall features monuments, including a polychrome one dedicated to Timothy Archer (died 1672), who was the rector. The roofs of the transepts include some 15th-century work, while the remaining roofs and pews are from the 19th century.