Parish Church Of St Helen And St Mary

Parish Church. The church incorporates fabric from the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations in the 13th, 14th, and 19th centuries. It was restored in 1875-6 and again in 1912. The construction combines field stones and ashlar, with some reused materials, limestone and clunch dressings, tile and lead roofs.

The south elevation features a three-stage tower with a steeply pitched pent roof to its flanking aisle. The tower has four-stage angle buttresses, a stair turret on the south-west, accessed by an external stair, and an embattled parapet. The belfry has a wall arcade with transoms; a four-light window with roll-moulded lancet-lights and a quatrefoil in a two-centred arch; and a west doorway with a two-centred arch and jambs of six keeled shafts with moulded caps and bases. The leaded wooden spire was reduced in height, possibly in the 17th century, and bears lead panels inscribed 'John Ferrar, 1620'. Five quatrefoil clerestory windows are present. The south side also has two three-light and one two-light 14th and 15th century traceried nave windows, a 12th century round-arched south door with a moulded label, impost, and shafted jambs, and a porch with a low-pitched gable roof and an archway of two continuous moulded orders. A 14th century chapel window was rebuilt in the 16th century with three lights. The chancel has irregular angle buttresses, three restored two-light 14th century windows, and a south doorway with double ogee-moulded jambs and a segmental head.

Inside, the five-bay nave arcade has two-centred arches with chamfered orders, round and octagonal piers with moulded and scalloped caps, and chamfered bases. The tower arch is two-centred with three chamfered orders and keeled and filleted shafted jambs. The chancel arch was widened in 1875. A defaced piscina has three cinquefoil arches in a square head. A font with an octagonal bowl and a restored base is likely from the 13th or 14th century. The chancel has a reconstructed and restored hammer beam roof, probably 14th or 15th century, and the ground stage of the tower has a ceiling divided into nine square bays with flat joists dating from the 16th century. The nave roof is 19th century, while the aisle and chapel roofs were reconstructed. A five-bay screen with ogee-headed arches is from the 15th century. Restored early 16th century pews are present, along with a rebuilt 17th century manorial pew with acorn finials. Chancel seats, also rebuilt, feature poppy head desk ends, one inscribed 'P OF BA 1537'. Further monuments and wall slabs are documented in the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments report.