Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a remarkable 15th-century church constructed from freestone rubble and brick, featuring stone dressings. The nave and aisles are adorned with castellated parapets and Perpendicular windows. It incorporates elements from an earlier church built in the late 13th or early 14th century, including the south porch, St Edmunds Chapel, and part of the aisle wall. The late Norman piscina in the north chapel is the only remaining part of the original Norman church that was recorded in the Domesday survey of 1085.

The west tower, standing at 120 feet tall, is an imposing landmark in the surrounding countryside. It consists of four stages, topped with an embattled parapet, crocketted pinnacles, and diagonal buttresses featuring canopied niches. The south porch, dating from the late 13th to early 14th century, has a groin vaulted roof with interesting carved bosses (restored), and above it is a small priests' chamber. The south door, also from the same period, is elaborately carved with figures, birds, and insects, representing a Jesse tree.

Inside, the nave features six tall arches and a stringcourse carved with cherubs (restored in 1865) beneath the clerestory windows. The arch-braced tie beams of the roof rest on carved corbels. At the west end, there is a tall lancet arch opening into the tower, which reveals the west window. St Edmunds Chapel was built around 1318 by John de Peyton.

The church also houses a fine 15th-century octagonal font, intricately carved with the signs of the Evangelists, a band of cherubs, and ogee niches in the shaft. The font is set on a stepped base with four standing platforms, each carved with shields, including one of King Edward IV. Additionally, the church contains several brasses from the 15th century and a standing wall monument to Sir Francis Mannock of Giffords Hall, who died in 1634. The church is recognized for its architectural, historical, and topographical significance.