Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church dating to the mid-12th century with significant additions and alterations in the mid-13th century and a 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of coursed and uncoursed flint rubble with limestone and clunch dressings, with the south tower built of grey brick. The roof is covered in red plain tiles. The nave, dating to the mid-12th century, contains two north windows with semi-circular heads, one 13th-century window with a tre-foiled light, and an early 14th-century window of three cinquefoiled lights in a two-centred head with moulded jambs and mullions, and a chamfered two-centred rear arch. A 12th-century north doorway features a semi-circular arch with a simple order and moulded imposts. The south wall has four windows, one each from the 12th, 13th and early 14th centuries, matching the contemporary north windows, and one early 16th-century window with double chamfered jambs and a square head. A 12th-century south doorway has two orders; the outer is semi-circular with chevron ornament and an axe mark, and a billeted label. The inner order contains a segmental arch with chevron ornament supporting a tympanum of radially set stonework ornamented with formy crosses and foliage. The jambs of the outer order have shafts with moulded bases and scalloped capitals and moulded abaci, while the inner order has twin shafts with scalloped capitals, cable ornament, and moulded abaci. The west wall has two lowset windows largely from the 19th century and a 19th-century doorway. The mid-13th-century chancel is undivided from the nave and has three original lancet windows in the east wall, restored externally, but retaining internal splays with attached shafts, moulded capitals and bases, and chamfered rear arches. Three north windows are present, one 15th-century, extensively restored in the 19th century, but retaining original splays and a hollow chamfered segmental rear arch, along with two 13th-century lancets with external chamfers. There are three south windows, one matching the restored 15th-century window, one matching the north lancets, and a western window also of the 15th century, with three lights. A 17th-century north door has chamfered brick jambs and a segmental arch. The north vestry was added in 1885. The square grey brick south tower was built in 1858, in three stages, with angle buttresses and a two-centred moulded arch to the south doorway. The bell chamber has louvred windows with two-centred heads. The chancel roof is of the early 15th century, featuring moulded wall plates. The nave has slightly cambered tiebeams and octagonal crownposts with moulded bases and capitals, all of the 15th century. A brass dating to circa 1510 is located in the chancel. A 17th-century moulded communion rail with turned balusters is also present. The east window contains stained glass dating to circa 1536, bearing the arms of Jane Seymour, the initials I.R., and the arms of Henry VIII with the initials H.I. A black and white marble tablet with pilasters, cornice and four shields of arms is dedicated to Richard Stone from 1714. 17th-century floor slabs are found in the chancel. The church also includes 19th-century pulpit and reading desk, incorporating panels with arabesque ornament. A 13th-century piscina in the chancel has chamfered jambs and a two-centred head, while a 14th-century piscina in the nave has an ogee head.