Church Of St Catherine

The Church of St. Catherine is a parish church that dates back to the medieval period, with significant remodelling in the early 16th century. It consists of a nave, chancel, and a west tower, with a south porch added in the late 19th century. The church is constructed from random flint rubble, with the chancel featuring extensive rebuilding in red brick and mixed rubble from the early 16th century, some of which is still plastered. The roofs are covered with plain tiles, and the east wall has a parapet gable that dates to around 1300. The church displays prominent buttressing from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The lower section of the tower originates from the 12th century, retaining two low windows and the base of the tower arch. The tower was remodelled in the early 14th century, which included the tower arch, Y-traceried west windows, and small upper-level windows. The parapet, made of gault brick, was rebuilt in the 19th century. The nave walls, dating from the 11th or 12th century, have two original blocked windows with wide splays on the north side and another with an inserted 13th-century lancet on the south. The inner arch and jambs of the south doorway are also from the 12th century, but the arch is from the 14th century, and the door is a 16th-century plank door.

Various additions from the early 14th century include the north doorway, the south chancel doorway, an east window with dagger tracery, and a piscina beside it. The windows are primarily from the early 16th century. The nave roof was renewed in the early 16th century due to the spreading of the 12th-century walls, which led to the insertion of two tiebeams with oak needles below the eaves level. These tiebeams are arch-braced and feature moulded wallpieces, with long octagonal crownposts supported by thin two-way braces. The chancel roof, also from the early 16th century, has arch-braced collars supported by hammerbeams, with enriched beams, cornices, and braces. One wallpiece bears a shield with the initials RB, for Richard Borsall.

The church contains a 13th-century font with an octagonal bowl that is splayed and arcaded, resting on a circular stem; the eight outer shafts were renewed in the 19th century. A wall painting is located on the south wall, and the tower houses three marble floor slabs from the 18th century.