Church of St. Mary the Virgin

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is a parish church with elements dating to the early 14th century, the mid 14th century, and the 15th century. It was restored in 1868 and the tower in 1974. The church is constructed primarily of flint and chert with ashlar dressings of Lincolnshire Limestone, covered by a slate roof. The nave and chancel are combined as a continuous space. A three-stage west tower is supported by stepped diagonal buttresses, featuring flushwork arcading at the base and square quatrefoil ventilation panels in the ringing chamber. It has two-light cusped and reticulated belfry windows and a crenellated flushwork parapet. The nave and chancel have diagonal buttresses with stepped buttresses to the flanks. A two-story gabled south porch has diagonal buttresses, a wave moulded arched entrance with semi-circular responds, capitals, and bases, all from the 14th century. A cusped parvis window sits above the entrance, and an ogee canopied statuary niche is in the gable head. Two-light stilted Perpendicular side windows are also present. The interior of the porch is vaulted with tierceron ribs, and bosses depict scenes including God the Father, The Resurrection, the Assumption of the Virgin, the Ascension of Christ, the Annunciation, and the Nativity. An inner south doorway features wave mouldings and casements. The nave has three three-light Perpendicular windows to the north and south, all restored, while the south chancel has two two-light Y windows; an arched priest’s door to the east of the southern window is cusped with a vesica. A single two-light Y window is in the north chancel. The restored east chancel window is also three-light. Inside, a triple chamfered tower arch is supported by semi-circular responds. The chancel arch is timber and was created in 1868, resting on corbels. An octagonal font from the 15th century has a stem alternating with buttresses and lions sejant, and a bowl alternating with shields and symbols of the four evangelists. A 19th-century nave roof features arched braces, wall posts, moulded principals, and butt purlins. Surviving rood stair doorways and stairs are present, alongside a 19th-century screen. A cusped rectangular nave piscina and a 15th-century chancel roof, restored in the 19th century with replacement windbracing and a ridge piece, are also part of the interior.