Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church dating back to the medieval period, with significant restoration work carried out in 1857. It comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, and north and south porches, constructed primarily of flint rubble with stone dressings. Sections of the chancel retain remnants of plaster render. The nave features a slated roof, while the chancel has plaintiles.

The massive, square west tower, dating to the late 14th century, is distinguished by its three-stage diagonal buttresses incorporating chequer flushwork and an embattled parapet. A moulded west doorway sits above a trefoil-headed niche. The belfry contains a pair of two-light openings. The four-bay nave from the 15th century has large three-light windows, with those on the north side largely original. Flushwork-enriched buttresses support the walls. Both north and south doorways retain their original doors, with moulded surrounds.

The north porch is a good example of 15th-century design, featuring a flushwork-panelled facade and flushwork to the front of the parapet. The moulded entrance arch is supported by shafted jambs, with a hoodmould resting on further shafts and shield-carved spandrels. Above this is a stone frieze of crowned M’s and a canopied image niche flanked by demi buttress-shafts. Tall two-light side windows incorporate mask label stops. The south porch is constructed of knapped flint with flushwork panelling flanking the entrance. The moulded arch is supported by shafted jambs with shield-carved spandrels, much of the stonework having been renewed in the 19th century. A trefoil lancet window sits above the arch, likely originally lighting an upper chamber. The chancel has 15th-century windows of two lights on the sides and three lights to the east, with older walls. A much-renewed Priest’s doorway has a two-centred arch. A 17th-century tablet with an acanthus-enriched bolection surround and open pediment is set into the north wall; the original inscription is lost.

Inside, the nave features an 15th-century hammerbeam roof spanning eight bays. Moudled principal components, the walls and hammerbeams are embattled, and carved bosses mark the intersections. Wallposts are supported by angel corbels, some of which are original. The chancel roof has moulded and embattled wallplates, with the timbers ceiled over. The chancel arch rests on large corbel heads which were probably re-cut in the 19th century. Remaining hoodmoulds have medieval mask stops. To the north of the chancel arch is a group of three trefoil-headed niches; a single, broad trefoil niche is on the south side. A cusped ogee piscina is also present. A rood loft stair is situated in the north-east nave. A doorway from the tower into the nave retains an original traceried door. The octagonal font, likely from the 15th century, has traceried bowl panels and much-defaced depictions of angels and woodwoses on the stem. C17 turned altar rails, along with some nave benches reusing 17th-century (and possibly earlier) woodwork, are also present. The interior also includes a mid-19th-century pulpit, west gallery, poppyhead benches, and stalls.