Church Of St Swithin

The Church of St Swithin is a parish church with origins dating back to the 12th century. The west tower, originally from the 12th century, was rebuilt in 1849, while the nave and chancel are from the 15th century. The church has undergone several restorations in 1840-42, 1849, 1867, and 1921. It is constructed from flint with ashlar dressings, featuring a chancel roof made of black glazed pantiles, while the rest of the roof is slate. The circular tower does not have distinct storeys and includes a pointed western lancet. There are louvred lancets on the north and south sides at the belfry stage, beneath a crenellated parapet. The nave has three stepped side buttresses, and there is a gabled south porch accessed through a double chamfered arch on circular responds. A blocked statuary niche is present, along with a Latin cross on a pedestal at the apex of the gable. The porch has cinquefoiled side lights within a square surround and a wave moulded inner south door. The south nave features two 2-light windows with 19th-century Y tracery, and the south chancel has one 2-light reticulated window. Diagonal buttresses are found on the east, which also has a 2-light reticulated window. There are no windows on the north chancel, but there is one 2-light 19th-century cusped window under a square hood to the east of a blocked north door.

Inside, there is a chamfered tower doorway and round arched doorways from the 12th century on the north and south, with the north doorway blocked by a pointed arch. The chancel arch is double chamfered and supported by heavy polygonal responds with polygonal capitals. A basket arched doorway from the 15th century leads to a rood stair that ascends to a basket arched doorway for the rood loft above. The nave features a 19th-century braced roof and eight 15th-century poppyhead bench ends on 19th-century benches, two of which have animal arm rests. On the back of one nave bench is a carved panel dated 1531, featuring relief carvings of the wounds of Christ in the upper tier and initials with the date in the lower tier. In the chancel, there is a table tomb for Honor Bacon, dated 1591, made of ashlar with a slate top, decorated on the north side with three shields and inscriptions. Against the east wall of the chancel, on the tomb, stands a pedimented ashlar plaque bearing a shield with three boars.