Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church dating to the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. It is constructed of flint, with limestone dressings; some of the flintwork is covered with render. The church comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, north and south aisles, and north and south porches.

The 15th-century west tower is square, with staged diagonal buttresses featuring flushwork panels. The west doorway has a distinctive ogee-headed hood mould and fleuron decoration on the arch and jambs. Spandrels above the doorway contain shields within quatrefoils. Slim pilaster buttresses with pinnacles flank the opening, and a decorative cornice extends above. A three-light window is located above the doorway. Square traceried sound holes are present, along with two-light traceried bell openings. The tower is crowned with an embattled parapet featuring shields, flushwork panels, and hexagonal corner pinnacles. A polygonal stair turret with quatrefoil lights is situated in the south-east corner.

The 15th-century south porch, now a vestry, is two-storied. The south doorway has been blocked and rendered over, with the archway displaying engaged shafts and a hood mould supported by headstops. A niche with an ogee-headed canopy is flanked by two windows, all set under a stepped dripmould. Two-light windows are located at the upper and lower levels, and an eaves parapet runs along the top. 18th-century memorial stones are set into the east wall. The south aisle has three repaired three-light windows from the 15th century, divided by staged buttresses. The western window obscures a large opening with a brick arch. Angle buttresses support the east gable, and a largely restored three-light window from the 14th century is positioned at the east end.

The north wall of the chancel features three lancet windows and a small priest's door, all dating to the 13th century. The 15th-century north porch has blocked two-light east and west windows, diagonal buttresses on the north wall, and an arch with engaged shafts and a hood mould on headstops. An eaves parapet completes the porch. The aisles have two-light west windows and three-light east windows.

The interior includes four-bay north and south arcades with double hollow-chamfered arches and octagonal piers, dating to the 14th century; the responds are likely from the 13th century. The 15th-century nave roof features roll-moulded principals and purlins, arch braces to principal rafters with wallposts on head corbels in alternate bays. The south aisle roof has arch-braced principal rafters and roll-moulded purlins. A high-level four-centred arched doorway leads to the staircase in the porch’s upper chamber, located in the south-west corner. The tower arch is tall, with responds matching the arcades. The 14th-century piscina has an ogee-headed cinquefoil arch with a headstop on the west side, engaged shafts with polygonal capitals, and a petalled bowl. The sedilia feature engaged shafts, although the upper portion has been removed to accommodate a later window. A 15th-century reader’s desk has poppyheads and carved armrests. The nave contains good 18th-century memorial slabs, along with some earlier re-set brasses. Memorial brasses commemorate Robert Dockyng (died 1465) and John Crane (died 1507). A recumbent effigy of a priest is located at the east end of the north aisle.