Church Of St Mary

The Church of St. Mary is a parish church dating back to the medieval period, with significant rebuilding in the mid-14th century and late 15th century. It comprises a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, and a north-west tower, with an organ chamber added around 1880. The church is constructed of flint rubble with freestone dressings, incorporating brick rubble in both the 14th and 15th century work. The nave and aisles have low-pitched leaded roofs, partially with parapets, while the chancel roof is plaintiled with parapet gables present throughout.

Evidence of earlier walling from the 11th or 12th century exists in the north chancel and possibly the west nave, including a small slit window. The chancel was extended eastwards in the mid-13th century, featuring good east and south windows with hoodmoulds and tracery. One window includes a piscina with a corner shaft, and another has a reset doorway incorporated into the 19th-century organ chamber. Carved masks adorn the east gable kneeler stones.

The original tower is plain, dating to the early 14th century, and was raised in two stages during the early 16th century with the addition of flushwork parapets. The nave and aisles were rebuilt in the mid-14th century, featuring arcades on octagonal piers with moulded capitals, along with north and south doorways and windows with varied curvilinear tracery. A piscina is located in the south chapel, all featuring extensive hoodmoulding.

Further remodelling of the nave and aisles occurred in the mid-to-late 15th century, creating a clerestory in seven full and two half bays. The traceried windows are characterised by flushwork panels featuring intricate detailing, with an inscription above reading "ORATE PRO ANIMAE JOHANNIS FRENCH ET MARGARETE." A fine roof is present with trusses of double hammerbeams and short kingposts, all richly decorated, with carved arch braces. Angels and wall-post figures are largely renewed, although one angel is original. Matching roofs are found in the aisles with arch-braced principals.

A restored early 16th-century south porch features flushwork panels, with a doorway supported by lion corbels. A rood loft stairway, constructed with brick walls and two doorways, is also present. Fragments of a screen, dated 1534, remain, although now located elsewhere. A 17th-century arcaded pulpit sits on a 19th-century limestone plinth. Barley-sugar balustrade rails are found in the south chapel and at the chancel arch. The chancel contains 15th-century choirstalls with misericordes and four reused bench ends. The limestone font, in a 15th-century style, is likely a 19th-century replacement.

Within the chancel are three notable wall monuments: to Philip Bacon (died 1666), to Reverend Baltazar Gardenau (died 1739) and his wife Lady Catharine (died 1757), and to Reverend Nicholas Bacon (died 1796). A marble slab bearing achievements is positioned above the Bacon vault. A floor slab with indents for brasses of a 16th-century type is located in the south aisle. Six painted panels, primarily in the nave, display coats of arms.