Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church with origins in the 14th century, significantly altered in the 15th century and further restored in the 19th century. It is constructed of stone rubble with red plain tiled roofs, a weatherboarded bell turret, and a shingle spire. The church comprises a chancel, nave, a north-west vestry, a bell turret, and a south porch.

The chancel’s east wall is buttressed and features a 19th-century window of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery over, a two-centred arch, and label with head stops. The north wall has no windows, while the south wall has a window of two trefoiled lights with a square head and label, and a former doorway that has been partly blocked and converted into a trefoiled window with a two-centred arch. The nave's south wall is punctuated by three buttresses, one at the western angle, one to the east of the south porch, and one at the junction of the nave and chancel. A 19th-century two-light ogee window is present, featuring traceried roundels over a square head and label. The gabled south porch has bargeboards to the gable, with a panel dated 1884 and a five-cant roof, each timber stop chamfered. Inside the porch are wooden side seats. The south doorway, likely from the 15th century or earlier, features a two-centred arch of two chamfered orders and a segmental rear arch, along with a five-board nailed door with strap hinges bearing incised chevron motifs. A similar window is located on the north wall.

The lean-to north vestry has a concrete tiled upper roof and corrugated asbestos at the lower level, with a fixed C20 window and a two-centred arched window to its west wall. The west wall of the nave has angle buttresses and a 19th or 20th-century window of three cinquefoil lights with tracery over and a two-centred arched head and label.

Internally, the chancel has a plastered seven-cant roof with molded wall plates. A piscina possesses a sunk, chamfered square surround, a square drain, and a square bowl with a soffit. Stained glass dating to the 20th century is set in the east and south windows. A chamfered two-centred chancel arch features a molded capital attached to a semi-octagonal shaft. A late 20th-century altar and altar rails are also present. The nave has a colored tiled floor and a segmental head to the north door. The roof is a seven-cant structure with tall, four-armed, octagonal crown posts, molded capitals and bases on chamfered tie beams, and molded wall plates. Some stained glass has been added to the windows. A brass on the south door dated 1857 commemorates the will of Robert Sudley (died January 16, 1615), who left funds to purchase six acres of land, known as The Poor Lands, and a double cottage for the use of the parish’s poor. The belfry has a timber frame with corner posts, arched braces to side girts, saltire upper braces, and later inserted posts and braces; the eastern corner posts exhibit both chamfered and square-cut moldings.