Church of St Mary the Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Broomfield

Parish church with a late 11th-century nave and the west part of the chancel. A tower was added in the early 12th century, the chancel was lengthened around 1430, and a spire was added to the tower at that time. The church underwent substantial restoration in 1870 by Frederick Chancellor, when a north aisle, chancel chapel, vestry, and south porch were added. The building is constructed of coursed flint and ferruginous conglomerate with Roman bricks used as quoins, later replaced by ashlar quoins. The roofs are plain-tiled, with the spire shingled.

The plan comprises a west tower, nave, north aisle, chancel, chancel chapel, and vestry. The circular two-stage west tower has three round-headed lancets to each stage, with those to the belfry fitted with louvres. The spire is broached and octagonal. The south nave features two two-light early Perpendicular windows (renewed in 1870) and one low-side window with a transom and trefoiled head. A timber south porch on a flint and stone plinth was added in 1870; it is gabled with an elaborate cusped bargeboard and three triple lights to the flanks. The south gable contains three tiers of glazing flanking and above a four-centred entrance arch.

The chancel has three single-light windows on the south side under square hoods on label stops, an arched and moulded priest's door, diagonal east buttresses, and a three-light Perpendicular east window. The north aisle has a three-light Curvilinear west window and three two-light cusped side windows. The north chancel chapel has diagonal east buttresses and a three-light Curvilinear east window. Additions made in 1997 to the north of the north chancel chapel and north aisle feature windows of intersecting or early Perpendicular forms, with a linking piece connecting to the north chancel chapel.

Internally, the church displays a round Norman tower arch. The three-bay north arcade features octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals, and double-chamfered arches. A pointed double-chamfered chancel arch springs from demi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases. The nave roof comprises three principal trusses on arched braces dropping to corbels, with ashlaring visible. The three-bay north chancel arcade is identical to the north nave arcade. The chancel roof has secondary rafters, collars, and straight braces.

The vestry lies to the north of the chancel chapel and has diagonal buttresses and a blocked north window. A passage of 1997 encloses the vestry and leads to St Leonard's Hall to the north.

Fittings include an early 12th-century stone font with a square bowl and four corner piers. The piers are circular with scalloped capitals, and the bowl is of 19th-century date with a central drum support. The bowl displays three pointed arches in relief with engaged columns at the corners. A stone chancel reredos of 1870, carved with a representation of the Last Supper, is present, along with heavily cusped sedilia also of 1870. A white marble wall monument to Thomas Pocklington (died 1769) on the south nave wall features scrolled consoles, apron terminals, and a broken top pediment containing an achievement above a rectangular inscription panel. A wall monument to Thomas Manwood (died 1718) on the south nave is of white marble with a black marble inscription panel, sill, and apron consoles. Fluted Ionic pilasters with carved volutes rise to a black marble frieze and terminate in a scrolled swan-necked pediment containing an achievement. An opened tent cloth is arranged as a swag framing the inscription panel. The chancel windows contain stained glass by Rosemary Rutherford, dating from 1954 to 1960. A mural in the tower, painted in 1941 by Rutherford, depicts St Peter the Fisherman.