Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin

This is a parish church of Grade I importance, formerly the western part of a Benedictine Priory founded by Aubrey de Vere around 1135. The building is constructed primarily of flint rubble with some brickwork and old ashlar, with dressings of Barnack limestone and clunch. The roofs are low pitched, gabled and lead covered.

The church comprises a west tower, vestry, south porch and a rectangular block containing an aisled nave, north and south chapels, a library enclosing a short chancel. The 15th-century west tower is of four stages with a moulded plinth and embattled crow-stepped parapet. The tower arch, dating to the early 15th century, has two moulded orders with semi-octagonal shafts with moulded capitals. The second stage has single light windows with trefoiled heads on the north, south and west walls, and the west wall also contains a single light 16th-century window. The third stage has two light windows with four-centred heads and moulded labels on each face. The bell chamber features 15th-century windows on each face, each containing two tiers of two four-centred lights with square heads and labels.

The north vestry is constructed of 17th-century red brickwork with black headers and a gabled pegtile roof. The south porch is 15th-century with an embattled parapet and crocketed pinnacles at the angles. The two-centred arched door has attached side shafts with moulded capitals and blank shields in the spandrels. The porch side walls each have a three light window.

The nave has 14th-century north and south arcades, each of four bays with fine label stops featuring carved heads. The clerestory contains five late 14th-century windows. The north aisle has four windows, two of the 15th century, one modern and one 14th-century much restored. The roof dates to the late 14th century and features curved braces springing from corbels carved with angels. The south aisle also has four windows in its long wall, largely modern but with earlier fragments. At the east end is a semi-octagonal stair tower providing access to the rood loft. The south door arch is late 14th-century with two moulded orders and appears to retain an original pair of 15th-century doors in situ. The west wall has a late 14th-century repaired window matching one on the west wall of the north aisle. The aisle roof is late 14th-century whilst the roof over the nave dates to 1843.

The chancel has a modern east window and roof, but retains 15th-century carved angels and modified 14th-century arches on the north and south walls. The north chapel contains two late 15th-century windows in its north wall and externally has two arches of a blank arcade. The south chapel has a 15th-century window and modern door in its east wall, with a large five light 15th-century window in the south wall. The west arch is uniform with that of the north chapel.

In the south-east corner is a library of 1708 containing 300 volumes of the 15th to 17th centuries.

Externally, evidence remains for the original cruciform plan of the Priory church. The surviving western piers of the crossing have demi-shafts and one water leaf capital of around 1175, and the foundations of the rest of the east end were exposed in the late 19th century.

Interior fittings include an early 18th-century oak reredos, early 18th-century communion rail with carved and twisted balusters, and some old marble and encaustic tile flooring. In the nave is an elaborate 18th-century brass candelabra, a circa 1400 kneeling oak figure, and one stained glass window by Hardman of 1893. A stone late 13th-century effigy lies on the chancel floor, said to be of Robert de Vere, third Earl of Oxford. Five 17th-century floor slab memorials feature elaborate lettering. Wall monuments include those to Sir John Barrington, Baronet (1691), Sir Charles Barrington (1788) by J.F. Moore, and Lady Ibbetson (1816) by Flaxman. Neo-classical wall monuments commemorate William Selwint of Down Hall and Stanes Chamberlayne (1782). In the north chapel is a 15th-century oak screen or parclose, skillfully restored.

The church also retains the Royal arms above the south door and a painted Parish Poor board.