Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Parish church, mainly of the mid-14th century and around 1500, with a 14th-century tower. The fabric is primarily flint rubble, though the south aisle features early 16th-century flush flint with random squared limestone and brick. The upper chancel walling is in early 16th-century red brick. Freestone provides the dressings throughout. The nave and aisle roofs are leaded, while the chancel roof is plain-tiled. The building comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower, and a small vestry of 14th-century date to the north of the chancel.

The chancel contains some fine work dating from around 1330 to 1350. The east gable displays the former roofline and features diagonal buttresses with enrichment at the head. A reticulated-traceried 4-light east window is present, with an image niche above and the carved base of a gable cross below. The integral vestry has a slit window with carved spandrels. A moulded south chancel doorway leads into this space. The chancel also displays a heavily hoodmoulded piscina with an enriched finial and blind tracery, from which a carved human head looks towards the altar. Plain sedilia are positioned opposite, with a fine contemporary Easter sepulchre on the north wall.

The large late 14th-century tower shows its principal features on the west side, including a moulded doorway with hoodmould carved beneath with good human heads. Image niches flank the doorway, with another positioned above. The deeply recessed west window contains good tracery. Two-light belfry windows and grotesque gargoyles sit beneath embattled parapets.

Major early 16th-century alterations, undertaken for Sir John Sulyard, saw the construction of the south aisle in five bays, the western bay containing a porch. Above the porch doorway is a frieze of carved coats of arms, with a continuous frieze around the base of the aisle wall featuring flushwork arcading interspersed with panels bearing coats of arms.

The nave roof was rebuilt at this time, and possibly its outer walls also. A fine hammerbeam roof spans nine bays, with each truss comprising a pair of hammerbeams with pendant posts. From these rise arch braces to a tier of false hammerbeams, from whose backs further arch braces rise to a collar beam and king post. All main members are moulded, and seated canopied figures occupy positions beneath both wallposts and hammerposts. The aisle roof is similarly rich but simpler in type, consisting of arch-braced camber-beams with much cresting. The arch-bracing in both roofs displays rich and varied carving, with bosses bearing shields or foliage beneath intersections. Winged angels appear mainly at the east end of the aisle. The chancel roof is a single true hammerbeam type in four bays, of similar date and quality.

A 15th-century octagonal limestone font bears shields on the bowl, though much restored; it retains a 17th-century oak pyramid cover. A set of thirteen poppyhead benches stands to the north side of the nave, with animal figures seated upon the buttresses (much restored), while the matching set to the south comprises 19th-century copies. The aisle contains box pews dating from around 1800. A fine limestone and marble monument to Sir John Sulyard (died 1574) stands in the aisle, featuring four kneeling figures over the tombchest and his achievement framed by an entablature on Corinthian columns. Beside it is a marble monument without inscription, dating from the 15th or 16th century. The 19th-century octagonal pulpit incorporates 15th-century oak traceried panels, perhaps from a rood screen. The chancel floor contains a slab with brass to John Daniell (died 1584). Three further brasses in the nave are missing, and at least two others are present in the aisle. Four painted boards with achievements are displayed in the aisle. Heraldic evidence indicates construction dates for the porch and aisle of around 1484 to before 1520.