Church Of St Mary Magdelene

Church of St Mary Magdalene

Parish church comprising an early 14th-century chancel, nave and north aisle with later repairs, a late 14th-century south porch, and a circa 1480 west tower. The building underwent substantial late 19th-century repairs and restorations during which the north arcade, east gable and wall tops were rebuilt.

The church is constructed of flint and rubble walls with red plain tiled roofs and ornate ridge tiles. Rainwater heads are dated 1860. The west tower is built of flint flushwork with limestone dressings.

The chancel contains a restored early 14th-century three-light window to the east wall with a two-centred head and chamfered mouldings. The south wall has an early 14th-century two-light trefoiled window with a two-centred head, and a west window incorporating a chamfered doorway with a segmental head and a chamfered two-centred window head. The east end wall displays painted 19th-century Commandments.

The south porch is a gabled 14th-century structure with quoins and a two-centred arch of two chamfered orders constructed of Roman brick and tile. Each return contains a restored window of two trefoiled lights under a square head. A two-centred arch slit light sits above the doorway. The porch has moulded wall plates and a scissor-braced roof, with a 14th-century pointed-head niche and a 19th-century south doorway featuring a two-centred arch with label, vertically boarded door and ornate hinges.

The nave's south wall east window is 19th-century with three cinquefoiled lights under a moulded four-centred arch and label, though its 15th-century jambs and splays remain. A 19th-century trefoiled two-centred arch west window is also present.

The north aisle's east wall contains a 19th-century two-light trefoiled window with trefoil above and four-centred arch head. The north wall has a moulded band and plinth with five windows: the two eastern windows are 14th-century with trefoiled ogee lights; the third is a 14th-century obtusely pointed light; and the two western windows are 15th-century with two trefoiled lights under square heads. A 15th-century north doorway with chamfered jambs, two-centred head and moulded label with head stops stands between the latter windows. The west wall contains a 15th-century window of one trefoiled light.

The west tower, dating to circa 1480, is crenellated and of three stages with a moulded plinth, bands between stages and stepped angle buttresses. An angled stair turret projects to the north east. The crenellated parapet features flint flushwork with cusped and crocketted panels. The west doorway has moulded jambs, a two-centred arch and label with head stops, with a vertically boarded door and strap hinges. The west window contains three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery under a four-centred head. The second stage south and west faces have two-centred arch windows with recessed red brick arches. The bell chamber has windows of two trefoiled ogee lights under two-centred arch heads on each face. The stair turret contains small quatrefoiled lights. Scratch dials appear on the south west buttress.

Interior

The chancel roof is a boarded barrel vault with moulded ribs and purlins and carved bosses, resting on moulded and crenellated wall plates supported on stone corbels. Stained glass was added in the 19th century to the windows, and painted Commandments were applied to the east wall. Sedilia with a low sill adjacent to the south window are present. The piscina on the south wall is a 14th-century feature, restored in the 19th century, with a trefoiled head, moulded two-centred arch and octofoil drain. The altar is medieval with a slab of Bethersden marble featuring a chamfered edge and small plain consecration crosses at each corner; unusually, a large crossed cross with crossed base supports occupies the centre. A 19th-century carved and panelled wooden reredos stands behind, with 19th-century wrought iron altar rails topped with a moulded wood rail. Two 19th-century carved chairs are positioned nearby. There is no chancel arch. The north aisle and vestry are separated by a 19th-century carved wooden screen with crenellated top rail. A 17th-century plain oak chest with strap hinges and a tapering coffin lid (partly hidden by a wall) are present. A circa 1600 carved table was undergoing restoration at the time of survey.

The north aisle comprises three bays with a 19th-century scissor-braced roof. The floor slab in the east bay contains brasses and indents commemorating John Clare and his two wives, Joan and Katherine (Pirton), dating to circa 1564, with a figure of Katherine, two sons, three daughters and two shields. The 19th-century north arcade consists of three bays with moulded two-centred arches, large circular columns with square bases and water leaf carved capitals. A two-centred arch niche sits adjacent to the altar rail.

The nave has a 19th-century scissor-braced roof with moulded wall plates. Floors throughout the church are either 19th-century coloured tile or herringboned wood blocks. A semi-octagonal wooden pulpit with moulded and traceried panels and a splayed stand is positioned in the nave. A 17th-century wrought iron hour glass stand stands adjacent to the pulpit on the south wall. Stained glass dates to the 19th century.

The font is a 16th-century octagonal piece with panelled sides featuring instruments of the Passion, square flowers and what appears to be a pomegranate or melon, a buttressed stem with trefoiled panels, and a moulded base.

The west tower is dated by a brass floor plate to circa 1477-1483, inscribed "Here lieth John Deth who was of special benefactor to this Church and Bell Tower who died 20 April AD MCCCLXXXIII, and Margery his wife, 1477 pray the mercy of God for their souls". The tower arch is a moulded two-centred feature of two orders, with the inner order resting on semi-octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The ringing chamber ceiling has four moulded curved braces meeting at the centre with a carved boss containing a quatrefoil enclosing a rose. A chamfered two-centred doorway leads to the stair turret. Two 15th-century pointed-head niches occupy the side walls, with similar examples said to exist on the stair turret wall, possibly used as lockers. Five peal boards line the walls. Six bells are present: three by Gardiner of Sudbury (1732), one by Warner of London (1860), and one inscribed "I am the sixth, the first did ring the year of the crowning Edward King AD 1902". A 15th-century bell by Henry Jordan bears the inscription "Sit Nomen Domini Benedictum". Various scratchings identified as masons marks appear on the tower arch and a five-pointed molet dated 1659 on the jambs of the west doorway.