Parish Church Of St Mary And St Margaret

Parish Church of St Mary and St Margaret

This parish church dates from the 14th century and later, with a major restoration in 1889. It is built of brick and flint with brick and stone dressings, beneath lead and copper roofs.

The church comprises a west tower, north aisle, south porch, nave with clerestorey, north choir aisle, vestry, chancel with chancel clerestorey. The west tower was rebuilt in the early 18th century in red brick on a flint base. It has three stages without buttresses, with a west stair tower. The tower features a Perpendicular style west window, circular sound holes, and Perpendicular two-light belfry openings with two centred gauged brick arches and stone key blocks. A battlemented parapet crowns the tower.

The north aisle has four bays with two-light windows featuring 'Y' tracery, set between alternating buttresses of flint and stone combined with brick. A north door with stoup lies to the west. The south porch is notable for its engaged octagonal piers and entrance arch, with a 19th-century sundial on the gable apex. The south aisle contains four bays with three Perpendicular two-light windows with flat arches between buttresses.

The clerestorey has four bays with two-light Perpendicular windows. The south side was rebuilt in 1725 with brick two-centred arches, key blocks and brick jambs. A 19th-century vestry of flint and brick includes an east entrance door and a terracotta three-light window. The chancel has a Geometric east window of 1867, flanked by battered 14th-century buttresses. The south wall was rebuilt with three-light Perpendicular windows with flat arches flanking a Priest's Door with a 19th-century semi-circular brick arch. A medieval moulded plank south door is also present.

The interior contains four-bay nave arcades, with the northern arcade dating to the early 14th century. These feature octagonal piers with base and capitals, double chamfered arches with moulded stone corbel brackets between clerestorey windows. A blocked rood loft opening appears in the north wall. The 19th-century aisle roofs contain some medieval arch bracing. A piscina is located in the south aisle, alongside a 16th-century opening with a flat battlemented arch that possibly led to a former Parclose loft. The chancel arch is double chamfered with capitals. The 19th-century nave roof features ovolo moulded tie beams.

A 15th-century piscina is in the north choir aisle. An early 14th-century arch is embedded in the north chancel wall. A 14th-century capital and squint appear in the south aisle wall to the west of dropped sill sedilia. A 14th-century vault lies under the sanctuary. A 19th-century Decorated piscina and 19th-century king post roof are also present. A restored dado of 15th-century rood screen survives.

The church contains exceptional monuments. These include the table tomb of John Corbet (died 1559) and his wife, decorated with three lozenges with cusps and shields and a stone panel above containing brasses. A wall monument to Miles Corbet (died 1607) and his two wives shows him kneeling with an obelisk behind, facing his wives and three daughters, set within a marble surround with two obelisks at each end. Below is a tomb chest with the recumbent effigies of Thomas Corbet (died 1617) and his wife Ann, lying on an arcaded chest with strapwork decorated pilasters. A wall monument featuring effigies of Christopher Knolles (died 1610) and his family is framed by Corinthian columns and entablature with strapwork frieze and modillion cornice. In the chancel stands a monument to Sir Thomas Adams (died 1667) and his wife with semi-reclining figures one above the other, set on a tomb chest with acanthus and cartouche, flanked by weeping putti against a black marble tablet with shouldered architraves, two Corinthian columns and entablature with segmental pediments. Additional fine monuments commemorate Nathaniel Micklethwait (died 1757), Lady Wilhelmina Micklethwait (died 1807), and Sir Paul Paynter (died 1686).

The church is listed Grade I, principally for its exceptional monuments.