Church Of St Germans

The Church of St. Germans is a parish church with a complex history, largely dating to the 13th, 15th, and late 14th centuries. It is constructed of ashlar, carstone, and brick. The west tower is of the 13th century, topped with a 15th-century structure. The nave, aisles, and chancel are primarily 15th century, with later 14th-century extensions to the aisles to form chancel chapels.

The tower is three stages high and supported by two 19th-century flat buttresses on the west side. A 2-light Y-shaped window sits below a fragment of a lancet head. Lancets are positioned on three exposed sides of the first two stages, with the lower south lancet blocked. The belfry features 2-light trefoiled windows positioned under a 4-centred arch, topped by a stepped crenellations with carved details. Corner pinnacles are present.

The south aisle has diagonal west buttresses and flat buttresses, including two substantial sloping brick buttresses on the south wall. It contains three 2-light windows with 4-centred arches. A 16th-century brick south porch has diagonal buttresses and a wide arch beneath a gable. Octagonal turrets crown the gable, although one turret has been truncated, and arched 2-light side windows are visible. Four 3-light clerestory windows, with ogee lights between rising mullions under basket arches, are present. There’s a setback buttress to the chancel chapel, and a flat flanking buttress also exists. To the south, two 3-light Perpendicular windows are present, one easterly, alongside a restored 4-light Perpendicular east window.

The north chancel chapel extends to the east wall, featuring a 3-light early 19th-century east window above a door, supported by a diagonal buttress. Three 2-light side windows are similar in style. It connects to the north nave aisle, which itself has flat buttresses and two 2-light windows and a north door. Brick repairs have been made to the west end of the building. A deeply undercut and scrolled external wall monument is situated in the third nave aisle bay, dated 1703.

Inside, a four-bay arcade features quatrefoil piers with fillets between lobes on polygonal bases, supporting polygonal capitals and double hollow chamfered arches. Clerestory windows are above the arch apices. The tower arch has demi-octagonal responds, a double chamfered arch, and a roll moulded hood with dog-tooth detailing. A wave moulded chancel arch sits on semi-circular responds. The nave roof is of queen post construction, with molded ties on arched braces to wall posts, molded queen posts and principals and butt purlins, including a ridge piece. The north aisle roof is largely 19th century. A rood stairs is accessed through an ogeed shouldered arch. The two-bay arcade to the chancel chapels mirrors the nave, with octagonal piers. The chancel roof is 19th century. C17 dado panelling adorns the east wall. A pulpit from 1631 is hexagonal, with panels of geometric carving. An early 17th-century reading desk has an arched panel and scrolled brackets supporting a platform and two turned balusters to the side wings. Twenty-eight nave benches, dating to approximately 1500, feature pierced backs of various geometric patterns, carved bench ends with poppyheads, animal or figurative armrests, and carved figures within niches in side panels. The north aisle armrests depict scenes from the life of St. Germans. A font from 1851 stands within, alongside a bowl and stem from a 14th-century font with tracery panels.