Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This parish church displays architectural elements spanning from the 13th to the 20th century, with significant rebuilding undertaken in the 18th century. The chancel was rebuilt in 1745 by the rector, the Honourable Henry Hervey, who took his wife's family name of Aston—a date recorded on a keystone of the south doorway. The nave and aisles date to the 13th and 14th centuries, while the south porch is 15th century.

The exterior shows a mixture of construction materials reflecting different periods. The nave and chancel are built of flint and red brick. The 15th-century south porch is of dressed flint and ashlar with red brick crenellation and bands. The chancel, dating to 1745, is roughcast. The north and south aisles are roughcast and plastered. The west tower has an old base with a timber-framed and roughcast bell turret, probably 18th or 19th century, constructed on a hipped red tiled roof. The nave roof is covered in grey slate, while the chancel and bell turret roofs are red tiled.

The chancel is buttressed at its eastern angles. Its principal feature is a stone Venetian east window with a keystone and pilastered side lights decorated with frieze and cornice, set into a recessed round-headed arch with moulded label. Below this is a worn plaque on brackets. The north and south walls each contain two round-headed windows with keystones and imposts. The south doorway features a moulded round-headed arch with a keystone dated 1745 and bears the Aston family crest above. It is topped with a moulded open pediment on console brackets. A central north vestry of red brick with a hipped red tiled roof was added, fitted with 20th-century small-paned vertically sliding sash windows on its east and north faces.

The nave has seven clerestory windows on the north and south walls, each containing three trefoiled lights with moulded four-centred heads, labels and continuous bands running through each face. The south aisle has a moulded parapet and angle buttresses. Its east wall and easternmost south wall windows are of two lights with two-centred heads and Y-tracery, probably 19th century; the western window contains two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over and has been restored. The north aisle has two central and angle buttresses. Its easternmost windows on both the north wall and east wall contain two trefoiled lights each with quatrefoils over and two-centred heads with labels; the western window displays two lights with Y-tracery and two-centred head with label, also restored. The north doorway is blocked but retains its moulded two-centred arch and label.

The south porch has flint and ashlar buttresses and a moulded plinth. Its doorway has a moulded two-centred arch with an outer order that is continuous and an inner order resting on polygonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases. It is surmounted by a moulded label and square head with carved flowers showing worn lion stops and worn carving to the spandrels; the door is panelled. Each side wall contains a window of three trefoiled graduated lights with tracery above, moulded segmental heads and labels. The south door itself has a chamfered two-centred arch with a fragment of moulded label.

The west tower has a belfry with north, south and west walls featuring louvred pointed-head timber openings, with a similar small opening at the first stage of the west wall.

The interior reveals exceptional 18th-century furnishings and fittings in the chancel, retaining its circa 1745 character. The ceiling is barrel-vaulted with plaster, moulded wall plates, a ceiling rose, and semi-circular end panels each depicting three cherubs and clouds. The floor is laid in black and white paving. The reredos is a carved wood panel of five bays with enriched borders, dentilled and moulded cornice, a central semi-circular pediment, and five draped urn finials. Above and below the painted boards depicting Moses, Aaron, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed and Exodus are swags. The communion table is fitted with carved cabriole legs. The altar is enclosed by three-sided rails with turned balusters, a moulded base and rail set on a stone base. Both north and south walls are panelled, with doors on each side that are also panelled. The chancel arch is semicircular, moulded and panelled wood, its jambs displaying capitals and bases, garlands and patera on the pilasters, a rusticated keystone on the east face, and a crowned shield of arms with animal supporters. A floor slab records S. Forster, D.D., died 24 July 1843. Wall plaques commemorate Samuel Forster and his wife Elizabeth (1843 and 1807 respectively).

The nave retains its original fine double hammer-beam roof comprising seven bays. The wall plates are moulded and crenellated with carved roses and fleur-de-lys. The hammer-beams themselves are moulded and crenellated with solid moulded arched braces and tracery to lower spandrels. Moulded arch-braced wall posts support the structure. The collars, king posts and ridge-board are all moulded and crenellated, with tracery above the collars. Solid braces support the moulded side purlins. The floor is of stone and red tiles, and walls are colour-washed. The nave contains a wooden semi-octagonal pulpit with pierced and traceried panels, a panelled wood reading desk, and a brass lectern. The 19th-century pews have quatrefoiled end panels. The west tower arch is narrow with a chamfered two-centred profile of three orders; the inner two orders rest on polygonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases. Above is a painted Royal Arms board; the lower part is blocked by a recessed wall containing an 18th-century doorway with a moulded pediment on console brackets and an eight-panel door.

The north and south arcades each comprise five bays with sunk chamfered two-centred arches on octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. The north aisle has a lean-to roof of ten bays, though only four retain original timbers, marked by five bosses at their intersections. An organ case with a cusped and crocketed head and crenellated returns was presented circa 1858; it is said formerly to have been a barrel organ but now has a keyboard. The south aisle also has a lean-to roof of ten bays, with only one original wall post and principal timber remaining. A 1907 stained glass memorial window to the 3rd Marquis of Bristol is located in this aisle.

Other interior features include a piscina in the south-east corner with a trefoiled head and round drain, and a simple octagonal font of 20th-century date. The clerestory windows have chamfered four-centred heads.