Parish Church Of St Mary Magdalene

This parish church dates mainly from the 12th to early 15th centuries, with 18th-century alterations and 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of flint and pebble rubble with limestone and clunch dressings, and roofed with handmade red clay tiles and lead. The earliest surviving fabric is the northwest corner of the nave, possibly pre-Conquest in date. The west tower is late 12th century, the south arcade early 13th century, the north aisle, north arcade, and west end of the south aisle early 14th century, and the chancel mid-14th century. The south aisle, south porch, and part of the north porch are early 15th century, whilst the clerestorey dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. An organ chamber, vestry, and general restoration were undertaken in 1874.

Chancel

The chancel has its axis deflected to the north. The 14th-century east window comprises three trefoiled ogee lights with net tracery under a two-centred head, and has been restored. An external string course runs at sill height, with a moulded internal string course. The north wall contains two windows of circa 1340, each restored, with two cinquefoiled lights and a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. Below the eastern window is a tomb recess with a low segmental-pointed and chamfered arch, a moulded label with foliate stops, dating to the 14th century. Between the windows is a doorway of circa 1340 with jambs and a two-centred arch of two moulded orders.

Both the north and south walls feature four bays of plain wall-arcading, with jambs and two-centred arches of two chamfered orders and seats, all 14th century. The south wall has a window similar to those in the north wall, with a replaced mullion. Further west, a 19th-century doorway has been cut through a bay of the arcading into the vestry, and further west still is a 19th-century arch into the organ chamber.

The chancel arch is 13th century, altered in the 14th century, two-centred and chamfered. On its west face, the chamfers stop approximately 0.75 metres above the moulded imposts, possibly to accommodate a former rood loft. The responds have trefoiled and cinquefoiled stops below the imposts, and broach stops at the base.

The east window of the 19th-century vestry has been moved from the south wall of the chancel. It is similar to those in the north wall but continues below a transom to form a 'low-side' window. Two sedilia with chamfered jambs and two-centred heads, 14th century, form a continuous range with the south arcading.

Nave

The nave has a north arcade of four bays, circa 1310, except for the easternmost bay, which is wider than the rest and was rebuilt in the 15th century. The two-centred arches are of two chamfered orders, and the octagonal columns have moulded capitals and bases with square plinths. The east respond features a moulded corbel supported on a corbel carved as a woman's head, the face replaced by an incised flower. The west respond also has a defaced head-corbel.

The early 13th-century south arcade has four bays. The easternmost bay is narrower than the rest and was rebuilt in the 14th century. The two-centred arches are of two chamfered orders, and the round columns have moulded capitals and bases with square plinths. The inner order of the east arch springs from a moulded and foliated corbel with a carved head below, now defaced. The west respond has a moulded tapering corbel finished with a carved knot.

The clerestorey is late 15th or early 16th century, built in red brick which has been repaired in the 18th century, and plastered internally, with crenellated parapets. The four north and four south windows each comprise two cinquefoiled lights under a square head, with moulded jambs and rear-arches.

The late 15th or early 16th-century roof of the nave is in four bays, low-pitched, with cambered tiebeams supported on wall-pieces and wooden corbels with arched braces. There are intermediate tiebeams above the clerestorey windows, a ridge-piece, and butt-purlins, all moulded, with plain rafters of horizontal section.

North Aisle

The north aisle has an external string course and crenellated parapet. In the east wall is a late 14th-century window of three cinquefoiled lights with quatrefoiled tracery under a square head, with a four-centred outer order having a moulded label. The jambs and mullions are moulded, and there is an original or early wrought iron grill.

The north wall contains two restored windows similar to that in the east wall. The internal sill of the eastern window has been lowered to form a seat. Further west is the 14th-century north doorway with jambs and a two-centred head of two chamfered orders, and a moulded label with a defaced head-stop. The west jamb is considerably decayed, and the east jamb has been repaired with brick.

The door leaf is original, made of V-edged wedge-shaped planks moulded on the thick edge, on a rivetted portcullis frame, with strap hinges incised with a herringbone design. The roof of the north aisle is original, with plain rafters of horizontal section.

South Aisle

The south aisle has a moulded external string course and crenellated parapet. The east window is similar to that of the north aisle, restored. The south wall contains two windows similar to those in the north aisle, also restored. Further west is the 15th-century south doorway, with moulded jambs and a two-centred arch in a square head. Each spandrel contains a blank shield in a quatrefoil, and there is a moulded label with defaced head-stops, all much decayed.

The south door leaf is original, similar to the north but additionally having a pierced iron scutcheon-plate and square spindle. The west wall has a window similar to those in the south wall but with a square rear arch. In the southeast corner of the aisle is a damaged niche, the canopy and bracket broken off. The roof is mainly 19th century.

West Tower

The late 12th-century west tower is of one stage with a southwest stair turret inside. The doorway to it has 12th-century jambs and a timber lintel with a three-centred arch. The door leaf is of plain boards with one incomplete C-hinge, probably original. The doorway and west window are 20th century, with 12th-century internal splays and a semi-circular rear-arch.

The north and south walls each have in the lower part a small 12th-century window with a pointed head and semi-circular rear-arch. The north, south, and west walls each have in the upper part a 12th-century window of two small lancet lights divided by a chamfered square mullion with a moulded capital and plain base. The capital of the west window is foliated, with a defaced head above it.

In the middle of the tower, a jowled samson post, chamfered with step stops, stands upon a timber sill and supports the main floor beams, with straight braces of square section. This structure and the floor are late 13th century. The pyramidal base of the spire, which forms the bell-chamber, is a timber structure of the late 13th century, supported on three main beams with wall-pieces and curved braces, with multiple diagonal bracing. The upper part of the spire was not examined.

Porches

The north porch was rebuilt in the 18th century from a 15th-century original in stone. It is of red brick in English bond with limestone dressings, plastered internally. It has a moulded external string course, crenellated parapet, and a two-centred outer arch with a keystone dated 1750. There are two lancets in each side wall with four-centred rear-arches, the jambs carried down to form stone seats. The roof is 15th century, shallow-pitched, with a moulded ridge-piece and principal rafters, and plain rafters of horizontal section, restored. There are carved wooden heads at each end, immediately below the ridge-piece.

The south porch has a 15th-century outer entrance, much defaced, with plastered brick at the base of the jambs. The west wall has a plain arched window of red brick. The east wall has a square recess containing the disused font; the upper part of the wall is extensively repaired in red brick in English bond, with a crenellated parapet, 18th century. A plain coffin lid of Purbeck marble forms the threshold. The roof is similar to that of the north porch but unaltered, and with only one wooden head at the inner end.

Fittings

There are six bells, the sixth by Miles Graye, 1623. The font in the south porch has a plain hexagonal bowl, buttressed and panelled stem, and moulded base, 15th century.

Fragments of 14th and 15th-century glass are re-set in the north window of the chancel, the east and southeast windows of the south aisle, and the northeast window of the north aisle. This last also has early 16th-century glass, mostly shields of arms.

In the chancel is an altar tomb with alabaster effigies of a man in plate armour with tabard, head on helm, and feet on a defaced unicorn, probably Henry Wentworth, 1482; and of a woman with pedimental head-dress, elaborate necklace of roses, and long cloak, with feet on a damaged beast, probably Elizabeth (Howard), his first wife. There are traces of original colour and gilding; both figures are defaced. The tomb has cusped panelled ends and south side with painted shields of arms.

On the north wall is a tablet of stone and slate to Joseph Youngman, alias Clerk, 1681-2, with curved pediment and achievement of arms. There are floor-slabs to Mark Mott, 1691, and Mark his father, 1694; to Simon Delboe, 1685, with shield of arms; to Barbara, the widow of Mark Mott, 1730, with crest; and to Mercy Mott, 1752, and Dorothy Mott, 1776.

There are three piscinae: one in the chancel, double, with chamfered jambs, round shaft having a moulded capital and base, two trefoiled ogee heads with a quatrefoil under a two-centred arch, with one octofoiled square drain and one sexfoiled circular drain, 14th century, in range with the sedilia and arcading; one in the east wall of the north aisle, with trefoiled head, 14th century, restored, drain missing; and one in the south aisle, with moulded jambs and a two-centred head having panelled spandrels, late 14th century.

The 15th-century chancel screen is of eleven bays, the three middle bays forming the doorway, all with traceried heads, and divided by moulded mullions having attached shafts with moulded capitals in the side bays, foliated cresting, a moulded middle rail, and close lower panels, with minor restoration.