Parish Church Of St Andrew

The parish church of St Andrew is a building of 12th and 14th century origin, with substantial restoration and extension work carried out in 1869 by C.J. Moxon. The church is constructed of coursed flint rubble, incorporating Roman brick and tile, with 19th-century limestone dressings, except for the Nave’s quoins which are of Roman brick. The roof is covered in red plain tiles.

The church comprises a nave dating to the 12th century, a chancel likely from the 14th century or earlier, a 14th-century west tower heavily altered in the 19th century, and a 19th-century south vestry and porch. The chancel features 19th-century diagonal buttresses, quoins, and a parapet gable. The east window is largely 19th century, but retains 14th-century splays. A window in the north wall is similarly constructed, with 14th-century splays and a moulded 2-centred rear-arch. Possible remains of a former north doorway are indicated by disturbed rubble. A south wall window incorporates a sill forming a seat, while a 19th-century arch provides access to the vestry. The nave roof is ceiled in seven cants and is probably 19th century. The 14th-century chancel-arch is 2-centred and moulded, with plastered, plain responds. The nave’s north wall has two windows with 14th-century splays and moulded 2-centred rear-arches. The south wall has a window with a chamfered segmental-pointed rear-arch, and a 19th-century doorway with plain internal jambs. The west tower is in three stages; the lower stage is either cased or rebuilt in the 19th century, while the second stage has 19th-century quoins and the third stage and octagonal spire are entirely 19th-century. The west window is 19th century. The original tower-arch is 2-centred, with chamfered responds featuring broach stops. Above it is a small, square-headed, blocked opening.

Internal features include a 14th-century piscina in the south wall of the chancel, with a restored trefoiled ogee head, jambs, and drain. A recess with hollow-chamfered jambs and a trefoiled head, also 14th-century, is situated in the north wall of the chancel. A group of three niches are found on the north side of the nave, east of the chancel arch, with the outer niches having round heads and the central one a 2-centred head and a plain pedestal, all plastered. South of the chancel arch is a recess with a cinquefoiled 2-centred head and hollow-chamfered jambs with broach stops, again dating to the 14th century. An early 17th-century hexagonal pulpit features bolection-moulded panels with carved figures in relief depicting St. James the Great, St. Augustine of Hippo, and Charity, along with masks, flowers, and foliage carved into the cornice. A fragment of a medieval octagonal font lies in the churchyard to the southwest of the porch.