Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church dating back to the medieval period. It has undergone significant restoration; the chancel in 1878/79 and the nave and porch in 1895/96. The church is constructed of rendered flint and iron conglomerate, with a plain tile roof featuring fish scale bands.

The building consists of a west tower, nave, chancel, a south porch, and a 19th-century north vestry. The tower is built in three stages with galletted knapped flint and stone dressings, including an embattled parapet with gargoyles. It features a 1895 renewal of the west window, a two-cusped light in an octofoil head beneath a renewed arch, with part of a low segmental or four-centred brick arch to its north side. The south porch was restored in 1896, featuring a chamfered arch with roll mouldings under a hood mould, containing cinquefoil-headed lights, likely from the 15th century, on each side. The south doorway has renewed, chamfered jambs and a double hollow chamfered arch under a hood mould with figure stops, the one on the right side being renewed. A north doorway is boarded over. The nave windows have been enlarged and renewed; the south side features one three-light and one two-light window, while the north side has one two-light window, all with panel tracery under square heads. Two stepped side buttresses are present with flushwork. The chancel incorporates knapped flint on an older base and features a small central door, two 19th-century two-light windows, diagonal buttresses of pebble flint (19th century), and a knapped flint east gable, with a 3-ogee headed window with panel tracery.

Inside, the nave roof (1895) is scissor braced with prominent castellated tie beams and wall plates, while the chancel roof (1879) is arch braced. The chancel arch is a continuous double chamfer. The tower arch is double chamfered with slender polygonal shafts and moulded jambs. A plain stoup recess is located by the south door, and a plain octagonal font sits on a fat octagonal stem, dating back to the 15th century. Fragments of medieval glass are found in the west window. A narrow, ledged and battened door leads to the tower stair. The church retains poppy head bench ends, one incorporating a lady’s head, thought to date from around 1470, now affixed to 19th-century pews. A box pew, dated 1640 and enlarged in 1867, features cockshead hinges, a premonitory inscription, and a finial to the corner post in the form of a carved upright shrouded skeleton holding an hour glass and scythe.