Parish Church of St Catherine

The parish church of St Catherine is a building with a history spanning from the 12th century. The chancel, retaining its north and south walls, dates to the 12th century. An Early English Gothic tower and a chapel were added to the north of the nave in the early 13th century, featuring a double arcaded entrance. Early 14th-century north and south aisles were subsequently added. Around 1500, the third stage of the tower, a clerestory to the chancel, and windows to the south aisle were constructed. A north nave chapel was removed at some point, replaced around 1840 by a vestry built by Dr W Webb, the vicar. Repairs occurred around 1807, followed by a complete restoration in 1870 by Vialls of London. Further repairs took place around 1950.

The church is built of flint rubble with clunch and limestone dressings and has lead roofs. The south elevation features a three-stage tower with a moulded plinth and embattled parapet. The ground storey contains a lancet window, while the belfry has a window of two cinquefoil lights in a two-centre arch. The nave has a plain parapet, four two cinquefoil light windows, and one eastern single light window. A largely rebuilt south porch has a two-centred arch, and the south doorway has a two-centred arch of two wave-moulded orders. Four restored windows of three cinquefoil lights in four-centred arches are also present. The chancel clerestory features three single light windows; one original lancet, one 14th-century window with two trefoiled lights, and a late 13th-century trefoiled light window, alongside a large, approximately 1500 window of three cinque-foiled lights. The priest’s door has been restored with a chamfered four-centred arched head.

Inside, the nave arcades consist of five bays; the two western bays of the north arcade date to around 1300, characterized by two-centred arches with two hollow chamfered orders and a moulded label terminating in head stops (with a depiction of a woman wearing a triangular headdress on the second pier). The three western arches and the arcade of the south aisle are early 14th century, also with two-centred arches of two main orders with carved head stops to the nave label and quatrefoil piers with moulded caps and bases. The tower arch is two-centred with two chamfered orders, along with labels toward the nave and chamfered square and semi-octagonal tapering responds. The chancel roof is six bays with moulded tie beams, and late 15th or 16th-century bosses are fixed to the intersections of modern nave timbers. The aisle roofs are of five bays. A 15th-century font includes a square bowl with moulded sides and carved angels at each corner, supported on an octagonal stem. Three inscriptions on windows and a pier refer to Francis Drake. There are also C14 piscenae and a small cupboard in the chancel, and in the south aisle. A 15th-century pulpit and screen are present. Monuments include a wall tablet in the north aisle to six members of the North family (1790-1828), an oval tablet to Thos Dickason (d.1824), and a marble cartouche in the tower to Roger Stoughton (A.D. MDCXC).