Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church dating back to the medieval period, with restorations occurring in 1871-2. A vestry was added in 1834. The church consists of a nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, and north vestry. It is primarily constructed of flint rubble, with the nave heightened in red brick; the chancel and south nave are rendered. The roof is plaintiled over the nave and slate over the chancel.

The west tower was built in two phases. The lower stage, likely from the 13th century, is of coursed rubblework and lacks buttresses, featuring an unmoulded pointed arch doorway on the west side. The upper stage dates to the late 14th century and has diagonal buttresses with chequer flushwork, a crenellated parapet, and two-light belfry openings, two of which have incomplete tracery. Sections of the lower nave walls may be contemporary with the lower half of the tower. Windows were inserted in the 15th century, including a noteworthy three-light south-east window and a circular south-west window with cinquefoil cusping. The remaining three windows have square heads and have been considerably restored. A moulded south doorway and an unmoulded north doorway provide access, both with original medieval doors. An east-facing trefoil-headed niche is located to the south of the south doorway.

The late 14th-century south porch is faced in knapped flint to its south and east sides, featuring a moulded entrance arch and restored two-light side windows. The original roof retains incomplete pierced tracery in the king-post braces, with evidence of similar tracery above the tie beams that has since been lost. The chancel has two 15th-century square-headed south windows and a simple Priest’s doorway; a single lancet window is to the north. A 19th-century three-light east window is in Perpendicular style.

Inside, the nave features an eight-bay double hammerbeam roof from around 1500, with a moulded cornice, purlins, and ridge piece. The chancel roof has an embattled cornice and is otherwise ceiled. A trefoil-headed piscina is situated in the south chancel wall. An arched doorway leads to the rood stair in the north-east of the nave. The font has a 15th-century octagonal bowl with panels carved with simple traceried designs and an older square shaft with columns at the angles. A set of 21 early 17th-century benches are present, with poppyhead ends reusing earlier, mutilated 15th-century poppyhead ends against the walls. Some bench backs are also medieval, including two with traceried panels. The remaining nave benches, along with the chancel stalls, pulpit, and lectern, date to the 19th century. A hatchment commemorating a member of the Bedingfield family is affixed to the south chancel wall. There are framed Arms of Victoria above the tower arch. The east window contains stained glass dating from 1856.