Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This is a parish church of mixed construction and development spanning from the 12th century to the 19th century. The earliest work comprises a 12th-century nave and chancel, with 13th-century rebuilding of the chancel, 13th-century north aisle and north chapel, a mid-15th-century west tower, and a 16th-century south porch. The building is constructed of mixed rubble including puddingstone with some Roman bricks and 16th-century brickwork, with limestone and brick dressings. The roofs are of red tile, slate and lead.

The chancel has an east wall with stone quoins and three 13th-century graduated lancet windows. The north wall retains Roman brick quoins of the 12th-century chancel to the west of a 13th-century lancet. The south wall contains three windows including a 19th-century chamfered round-headed doorway positioned between an eastern 13th-century lancet and an early 15th-century window of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a two-centred head. A low-set western 16th-century window has a 19th-century cusped round head.

The north chapel features a 15th-century east window of three cinquefoil lights with vertical tracery over and a four-centred head with label, and two 15th-century north windows of two cinquefoil lights with two-centred heads and moulded labels.

The north aisle contains two two-light eastern windows similar to those in the north chapel, with stone trefoiled panels to the plinth. A western moulded red brick window of circa 1520 has two lights in a four-centred head with moulded label. A similar blocked doorway of circa 1520 with two chamfered orders to the jambs stands nearby; the Priests House formerly occupied this area. The west wall is crenellated with an east gable crow-stepped. A window in the west wall has two cinquefoiled lights and tracery similar to those in the north wall.

The nave's south wall displays red brick buttresses to the east and east of the south porch, a red brick parapet and band of circa 1520, and an eastern window of three transomed four-centred lights with moulded jambs, four-centred head and label. The south doorway of circa 1520 is of stone with moulded jambs and four-centred head. The south porch, also of circa 1520, is of red brick with crow-stepped parapet, moulded jambs and four-centred head with label. It has angle buttresses and blocked return windows of three pointed lights under square heads with moulded labels.

The west tower is crenellated and of three stages with bands between. It features gargoyles to the parapet band and angle buttresses to the north-west, south-west and south-east faces, with a lower buttress to the south-east. A north-east stair turret has four small lights. Each face of the bell chamber contains a 15th-century stone window of two cinquefoiled lights under a two-centred arch. The north, west and east second-stage windows are of 15th-century red brick with pointed lights. A 19th-century stone west window retains original splays and rear arch with three cinquefoiled lights and vertical tracery over under a moulded two-centred arch. The 15th-century west doorway has stone moulded jambs and two-centred arch with a square head and moulded label, and carved spandrels with foliage and shields. The east face shows grouting of the former nave roof.

Interior

The chancel features east lancet windows with shafted splays and moulded arches. All windows contain 19th-century stained glass. The roof is a 19th-century painted barrel vault with moulded rib, carved bosses and moulded wall plate. The floor has a red and white diamond tile pattern. The altar rails feature turned and iron twist balusters. A 14th-century piscina has hollow chamfered jambs and a trefoiled head with one round and one octofoil drain. The 14th-century sedilia is recessed with a double two-centred head springing from a central moulded corbel. Two painted boards with Exodus verses hang on the east wall. A late 16th-century helm with comb and visor is mounted on the north wall. The north wall has a chamfered two-centred archway with chamfered imposts, and a squint cut through the east respond. Wall monuments commemorate Mrs Elizabeth Lidgauld and Mrs Jane Spencer (1741) and Rev Charles Lidgauld (1775). Long choir benches with poppyheads are present. An early 16th-century two-centred chancel arch has two chamfered orders, moulded capitals and bases to semi-octagonal responds.

The nave contains an early 16th-century hammerbeam roof of six bays with moulded main timbers, moulded and crenellated wall plates. The hammerbeams are carved with defaced angels holding shields, supported by curved braces with foliated spandrels and wall posts with figures holding shields. A circa 1520 rood loft staircase with rebated jambs and three-centred arch doorway stands on the south wall; its upper doorway is blocked. South windows contain 19th-century stained glass, including one south three-light window decorated with crowns, roses and pomegranates. An octagonal oak pulpit with crenellated tracery to panels is present, with matching panelling enclosing it and a poppyhead bench. Poppyhead pews are present, some original. Vertical boarding covers the lower south wall. The south door is vertically boarded. A circa 1500 octagonal font with plain stem and moulded base features one panel with a Pyrton shield of arms, while the others alternate plain shields and rosettes. A 13th-century north arcade of three bays has chamfered two-centred arches, circular columns, moulded capitals and bases with semi-octagonal responds. A large niche adjoins the chancel wall. Brick flooring runs throughout.

A wrought iron hour glass stand, possibly of the 17th century, is attached to the pulpit.

The north aisle contains a 17th-century table with moulded and turned legs and moulded carved top rail. A 14th- or 15th-century large wooden chest with semi-circular lid is iron-bound and nail-studded with three locks, two bolts and end ring handles. Vertically boarded lower walls are present. The roof is a 16th-century lean-to structure of five bays with moulded timbers and wall plates. A wall painting, now covered, is said to exist.

The north chapel has a lean-to roof. A 15th-century archway to the west wall is two-centred with two chamfered orders, the inner resting on leopard head corbels. A circa 1647 Bayning vault and monument to Penelope and Paul, Viscount Bayning (1647), is said to lie below the chapel. It is of red brick with a semi-circular barrel vault. The chapel floor is of red brick. A floor slab of Sir William Pyrton (1490) displays a brass figure of a man in armour with a lower part now lost, an SS collar and portcullis hat. The slab of his wife Katherine (1501) shows her in a widow's veil with a shield of arms; depictions of five sons and five daughters are said to be present but were hidden by a cupboard at time of re-survey. Indents of other shields and inscriptions are visible. A 15th-century niche in the north-east corner features a crocketed and finialed trefoiled ogee head with hollow chamfered jambs and shelf. Glass fragments from the north window include 15th- and 17th-century canopy work, borders and black letter inscriptions.

The west tower interior has a tall chamfered two-centred tower arch. A turret staircase doorway is two-centred with a 16th-century nailed two-board door with scutcheon plate. A 19th-century stained glass window is present. A blocked opening to a former ringing gallery appears in the north wall. The second stage is said to have a brick doorway opening onto the roof. The church contains five bells: three by Robert Mott (1591) and one by Miles Gray (1625).