Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with origins in the 12th century, significantly altered in later periods. The nave dates to the 12th century, the west tower to the late 14th century, the south porch was built in the early 17th century, and the chancel was rebuilt in 1875 as part of a wider restoration. The church is constructed of rendered carstone and flint, with slate roofs.

The three-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses displaying carstone flushwork. It features a cusped three-light west window beneath a four-centred arch. A slit window illuminates the ringing chamber. Two-light, cusped belfry windows have been blocked with honeycomb brickwork; the eastern window retains one light. A string course sits below an ashlar crenellated parapet. A stair turret is located to the south-east. A 19th-century cusped lancet window is situated to the west of the brick south porch, its bond indeterminate due to extensive restoration. Blocked square-headed side windows are also present. Stepped diagonal buttresses frame a four-centred double hollow chamfered arch, set beneath a hood mould. The archway features polygonal capitals and responds, a statuary niche, and a gabled roof.

The south door is of 12th-century origin, featuring one order of columns with cushion capitals and moulded bases. Square imposts support an arch decorated with cable, hollow and double billet mouldings. The tympanum was blocked in the 20th century with an inscribed mass dial on the east jamb. The south nave has one mid-14th-century two-light mouchette window and a 19th-century two-light cusped Y window. The chancel is pierced by two lancets to the north and south, a priest’s door to the south, and three stepped lancets to the east wall. The east gable of the nave has a 19th-century trefoil. A 19th-century vestry sits over the north nave door. One 12th-century lancet and a three-light 19th-century window are located to the east.

Inside, the tower has a double chamfered arch. A late 15th-century tower screen is present, with wide side bays and central gates. A dado features linenfold panelling and an inscription frieze (“ORATE PRO BONO STATU THOME WYHER, DIACON”), referencing Thomas Wyther of North Weald Basset, Essex, from where the screen was relocated. The dado gates have tracery, and the upper tracery panels are blocked, but retain pendant tracery heads of late 17th-century origin. An east coving with three four-centred arches is also of the late 15th century, though not originally part of the screen. The north and south inner door arches and jambs are of 12th-century origin. A 14th-century octagonal font is also present, together with a thin 19th-century hammerbeam roof to the nave with pierced arched braces to the hammerbeams and two tiers of purlins. The chancel arch is of early 13th-century origin, but now largely 19th-century, with a scissor-braced chancel roof.