Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church located in Ringstead, featuring flint construction with limestone and carstone, topped by green and blue slate roofs. The tower dates from around 1300, the chancel from the 14th century, and the nave from the 15th century, with a north aisle added in 1865 along with various internal details. The church includes a west tower, nave, south porch, chancel, and a north aisle with vestries at the east end. The tower has been partly rebuilt in red brick on the south and west sides, featuring two west buttresses and a two-light west window from 1865. It is adorned with four belfry windows showcasing switch tracery, a battlemented parapet, and a conical roof.

On the south side of the nave, there is a two-light Decorated window at the west and two impressive three-light Perpendicular windows at the east, supported by three buttresses. The south porch, added in 1865, features a figure of the Good Shepherd in the gable. The chancel's south side has a single light window with an ogee head and label stops, alongside two two-light 14th-century straight-headed Decorated windows, which have cusped half arches springing from a central mullion that intersects with a cusped whole arch, complete with labels and stops. A priest's door from around 1300 is also present.

The nave's east gable and the chancel's east wall were modified in 1865, showcasing a three-light window in the Decorated style with carstone banding. The north aisle, also from 1865, features a large plate tracery west window, two two-light Decorated style windows, and a door at the east end. A lean-to vestry with a prominent north stack and two lancets is located at the east gable. Notably, there are large naturalistic spout heads along the valley line between the 1300 nave and aisle roofs.

Inside, the south door dates from around 1200, leading to a decorated chancel arch and a richly detailed angle piscina with ogee arches, label stops, heads, and finials. The two south windows have internal labels and head stops, while an aumbry and a blocked door are found on the north side. The church contains several notable 17th and 18th-century ledger slabs. Most interior details are from 1865, including a three-bay north arcade, the nave roof and benches, and a stone pulpit with marble inlay. The font has a 19th-century base and a 15th-century octagonal bowl. The chancel features an arched braced scissor truss roof, painted chancel arch, communion rails, stalls, and a bold High Victorian reredos made of alabaster, all from 1865. The north aisle east arch reveals the vestry, and there is a wall tablet in the tower dating from the 18th century.