Parish Church Of St Andrew

This parish church dates mainly from the 14th and 15th centuries. The walls are built of flint rubble with limestone dressings, except for the south gable of the porch, which is of red brick. The lower stages of the west tower are of flint and brick rubble with limestone dressings, whilst the top stage is of red brick laid in English bond. The west tower and north aisle are roofed in lead, with the remaining roofs covered in handmade red clay tiles.

The chancel and nave with north aisle were built around 1350. A south tower dating from about 1400 was later converted to a south porch. The south chapel and west tower were added in the late 15th century. In the early 16th century, an upper room and brick gable were added over the south porch. A south vestry, organ chamber and general restoration work were carried out in the 19th century.

The Chancel

The east window of the chancel is 19th century. The north wall contains two mid-14th century windows. The eastern window has two trefoiled ogee lights with tracery under a segmental-pointed head and chamfered label. The western window, which has been restored, consists of one lancet light carried down below a transom to form a low-side window; the upper light is rebated for a shutter or casement, whilst the lower light is chamfered.

In the south wall is a window similar to the eastern window in the north wall, but with the sill carried down to form a seat. The splays are cut square with trefoiled and sub-cusped heads dating from the 14th century. Further west is a 19th-century arch.

The mid-14th century chancel arch is two-centred and moulded, with moulded responds featuring moulded capitals and bases. Plain wooden corbels project on both sides to support the former rood beam.

The screen dates from the late 15th century and has been restored. It comprises six bays with cinquefoiled ogee and sub-cusped heads, with tracery above them. Between the bays are buttresses and pinnacles, with a moulded and crenellated cornice and moulded middle rail. The close lower panels have traceried heads, and the four lower panels on the south side retain remains of painted figures: (a) almost obliterated, (b) St Ursula with arrow and book, (c) a bishop or abbot with claw-hammer, probably St Eloy, and (d) St Edmund the King.

On each side of the chancel arch is a 15th-century squint with a cinquefoiled ogee head on the east face and a V-head on the west face.

The chancel roof is 19th century, with one chamfered tie beam featuring step stops.

The Nave

The nave has a north arcade of two bays dating from around 1350. The arches are segmental-pointed and moulded. The column is moulded and shafted, with a moulded capital and base, and the responds have attached similar half-columns. To the east is an opening which is mainly 19th century but incorporates a 14th-century quatrefoil drain in the sill.

In the south wall is a four-centred arch from the late 15th century, with two chamfered orders on the south side and one continuous moulded order on the north side. The responds are chamfered and shafted, with moulded bases and capitals.

Further west is the late 14th-century south doorway, with moulded and chamfered jambs and a two-centred arch, plus a segmental-pointed rear arch. The chamfered label has mutilated head stops. The doors are original, made of V-edged boards on battens, with a wrought iron scutcheon and drop handle.

Near the west end of the wall is a blocked doorway which led to the stair turret of the former south tower. It has chamfered jambs and a moulded two-centred arch dating from the late 14th century.

The nave roof is 19th century, with one chamfered tie beam featuring step stops.

The North Aisle

The north aisle has a window in the east wall which is mainly 19th century, except for the moulded splays and segmental-pointed rear arch from around 1350.

In the north wall are two windows which are mainly 19th century except for the splays and the segmental-pointed rear arch of the western window, which is 14th century. Below the western window are traces of the original north doorway.

The window in the west wall is 19th century, except for some reused jamb stones and the moulded splays and rear arch, which are 14th century.

The South Chapel

The south chapel has a window in the south wall which is mainly 19th century, except for the lower part of the moulded splays, which are 15th century. In the south wall is a piscina with moulded jambs, a cinquefoil ogee head and a quatrefoil drain, dating from the 14th century.

The West Tower

The west tower was built entirely around 1490. It has three stages with a moulded plinth and strings, a south-east semi-octagonal stair turret, and a crow-stepped crenellated parapet. The middle merlon on each side features a carved figure of an angel, and there are crocketed pinnacles at the angles. The offsets of the angle buttresses have crenellated cornices.

The two-centred tower arch has three moulded or chamfered orders, with the two outer orders being continuous. The inner order of the respond has moulded bases and capitals. In the south wall, the doorway to the stair turret has chamfered jambs and a four-centred arch.

The west doorway has a richly moulded two-centred arch and jambs with a moulded label mitred to a square label, with plain spandrels. The west doors are original, with rear frames of ledges and stiles riveted at the crossings, continuous curved edge members hollow-moulded at the front, and hollow-moulded fillets over the joints between the planks.

The partly restored west window has three trefoiled ogee lights with vertical tracery in a segmental-pointed head with a moulded label. In the west wall of the second stage is a small window of one trefoiled light with a moulded square label; the head of the light is blind.

The bell chamber has in each wall a window of three trefoiled and transomed lights under a four-centred head with a moulded label and head stops.

The South Porch

The south porch is the ground stage of the mid-14th century south tower, which was never finished. It has two storeys with an attic and a crow-stepped south gable of brick.

The outer entrance has richly moulded responds with moulded bases and capitals, and a moulded two-centred arch with an ogee label which is moulded and crocketed. Flanking it are small pilasters finished with gablets, pinnacles and carved finials.

The east and west walls each have a small window of one pointed light with moulded jambs, head and label; the eastern one now opens into the south chapel. The south gable has a blocked window of three pointed lights under a square head with a moulded label. To each side of it is a niche with moulded jambs, a pointed head and an ogee label, crocketed, with carved finials and stops, dating from the 14th century.

In the porch is a stoup having an arched recess with a hollow-moulded edge and a rectangular well, with cusped designs below it, probably 14th century.

Furnishings and Monuments

The font has an octagonal bowl with a moulded lower edge. The stem is panelled on five sides only and is possibly late 15th century.

The pulpit is octagonal with arcaded panels enriched with guilloche ornament and a moulded top, dating from the early 17th century.

On the west wall of the south chapel are brasses: (1) to Elizabeth Quarles, wife of John Symonds, 1666, inscription only; (2) to Richard Symonds, 1627 and Elizabeth Plume his wife, a plate with kneeling figures of a man, woman, five sons and one daughter, and a shield of arms; (3) to Orlando Fitzsymonds, 1691, inscription only.

On the north wall of the chancel are monuments to Elizabeth Tripp, 1785, an oval tablet of white marble, and to the dowager Viscountess Bateman, 1769, with Ionic pilasters, pediment and cartouche of arms.

In the south chapel, monuments on the east wall include: (1) to Richard Fitzsymonds, 1680, a tablet with carved drapery, cherub heads and cartouche of arms; (2) to Susanna Bastwick, wife of Dr Burgoyne, 1685, a black and white marble tablet with entablature, broken pediment and cartouche of arms; (3) to Gregory Lewis Way, 1799, a white marble tablet with urn on grey marble ground. On the west wall is a monument to John Symonds, 1692, a black and white marble tablet with carved pilasters, entablature supporting cherubs and cartouche of arms.

Over the south door hangs a painted coat of arms of George III, 1772, unframed.

At the west end of the nave are two boards containing the Ten Commandments in gilt lettering, dating from the 18th century, with gilt frames.

Bells

There are six bells. The first, second and sixth are by Lester and Park, 1766. The third and fourth are by Miles Graye, 1660, with the fourth recast in 1908. The fifth is by William Land, 1612, recast in 1908.