Church Of St Mary Magdalene

The Church of St Mary Magdalene is a parish church, largely dating to the 14th century, with a tower from the early 15th century. It was considerably restored in 1877 and the chancel rebuilt in 1764. The church is constructed mainly of random flint with stone dressings, and some brickwork to the nave, with roofs of plaintiles and crest tiles. The west tower is square, unbuttressed, and has a crenellated parapet, with two string courses to the bell-chamber stage; the lower string course features carved heads. The bell-chamber has two semi-circular headed openings, and the west face contains a two-light window (containing fragments of medieval glass), a single-light window with a square hood mould, and a carved stone shield bearing the de la Pole arms. The nave, probably of the 14th century, has a late 19th-century three-light window in the south wall, and two 15th-century two-light windows with square hood moulds in the north wall. A blocked doorway is also visible on the north wall. The 14th-century south porch has a moulded entrance arch on semi-circular responds, an empty trefoil-headed niche above, and two-light side openings with circular shafts and shouldered lintols. The nave doorway has a plank door and a holy water stoup to the right. The chancel was rebuilt in 1764 and restored in 1877, with new windows, a re-fashioned Priest’s doorway, and the addition of a north vestry on the site of a former 14th-century chapel. A good 14th-century piscina with ballflower ornament is set within the north chancel external wall. The nave has a four-bay, largely 19th-century hammerbeam roof, with pointed ends and pendant bosses. The chancel roof, also from 1877, is of arch-braced construction, as are the chancel arch, pulpit, and organ chamber. The nave benches, tiles, and much of the glass are also from 1877. The north chancel wall retains a trefoil-headed two-light window from the former chapel. A blocked entrance to the rood loft stairs is visible on the north nave wall, and a blocked sanctus bell window is above the tower arch. A 14th-century octagonal font has a quatrefoil on each face. Some benches in the chancel have reused 15th-century traceried ends with carved arm rests. A reredos painting by Benjamin West, titled 'The Blind Restored to Sight', is also present, along with two plain marble tablets on the south chancel wall commemorating Rev. Montagu North (d.1779) and his wife, Elizabeth North (d.1774). The church is graded II* for the surviving medieval work, particularly the porch and tower.