Church Of St Edmund

The Church of St Edmund is a parish church with a mid-15th century tower. The remainder of the church was largely rebuilt. The chancel, south aisle, and south chapel were removed in the late 16th century and the south arcade was filled in to form the present south nave wall. The north nave wall collapsed in 1668 and was rebuilt between 1694 and 1695, slightly within the original alignment. A chancel was added in 1908 and a vestry in 1980. Detached remains of the south aisle are located in the churchyard.

The church is mainly constructed of flint rubble with stone dressings. The north nave wall is of red brick with some burnt headers. The nave roof is thatched, and the chancel is plaintiled.

The tower is a fine, four-stage structure, 30 metres high, built of knapped flint with flushwork to the plinth and buttresses and includes stone string courses. It has a later flat parapet of red brick. The west doorway is decorated with multiple orders of jambs and an arch, featuring motifs including fleurons, mitres, crowns, an anchor and shields, with a label mould supported by lions and angels in the spandrels. A three-light west window is flanked by tall canopied niches. A frieze of wavy quatrefoil tracery sits above the window, with a central figure of St Edmund below. There are two-light windows at ringing chamber level and three-light openings at the belfry level. The south nave has four renewed two-light windows in Perpendicular style, and a porch dated 1578 bearing the initials ‘RB’. The north nave wall has three late 17th-century cross windows under segmental arches, with mid-20th-century glass. A buttress is inscribed with “John Camp 1695”. The chancel is in Perpendicular style, and a re-used 15th-century three-light window is located to the south.

Inside, the six-bay south aisle arcading is still visible, extending a little further east than the present chancel arch. An inscription at the west end of the north nave wall reads, "This Church was put Out and Rebuilt by the care of John Campe & Thos Godfery Gent in the Year 1694 and Finished in 95.” A fine 15th-century octagonal font has canopied figures on the bowl, angels with outstretched wings on the underside of the bowl, and the arms of George II are carved into the base of the tower. The church furnishings are mostly 20th-century. The church is Grade I listed for its medieval fabric, particularly the tower.