Parish Church Of St Mary

The parish church of St Mary dates from the early 13th century, with significant extensions and alterations through the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, and a restoration in 1897-99. The church is constructed of flint rubble with dressings of clunch and limestone, covered by slate and lead roofs.

The tower is buttressed, with four stages. The upper stage is octagonal, featuring a plain parapet and two-light belfry windows. The aisles and clerestoreys have embattled parapets, cornices with fleurons and lion mask gargoyles. The south aisle has four buttressed bays with trefoiled windows in flat arches. The clerestorey has four windows with four-centred arches linked by moulded impost bands and labels. A south porch has a 19th-century embattled parapet. The unbuttressed chancel has two two-light windows in flat arches, with a coped gable parapet.

Inside, the north nave arcade has four bays with three octagonal piers, each with moulded capitals and bases, and two-centred arches of two chamfered orders; one pier is quatrefoil in plan with moulded capitals to the west. The south arcade has a continuous moulding to two-centred arches and half piers with fillets, moulded capitals, and bases. The nave has a 19th-century king post roof, incorporating some original carved details. The aisle roof is 15th century, with some restored timbers. The chancel arch is without responds. A 14th-century screen is partially restored with painted panels. Paired niches flank the east window, dating to the late 14th or 15th century. Medieval glass is found in the south chancel window. The 15th-century tower arch contains 17th-century graffiti depicting two post windmills, a witch with a tall hat, and a figure with a mask. An iron tower screen, with brass details and likely of French baroque style, is dated 1805 and inscribed "Petrus Rasorius Oeconomus”. At cill level of the north aisle’s 14th-century east window, fragments of alabaster figures from a reredos are set into the wall. A 15th-century south door is present, and the porch roof is original with carved bosses at the intersections of moulded beams and two carved angels. Wall paintings are visible in the nave below the clerestorey. 15th-century poppy-head pews are partly restored. The font has an octagonal bowl, panelled stem and moulded base set on an older base with spurs. A brass monument commemorates Henry English, who died in 1393, and his wife. The bell frame is inscribed “W. Hart Brinkley fecit 1825”, and a lead plaque is inscribed by the church wardens, dated 1782.