Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church largely dating to the mid-14th century and late 15th century. It is constructed of flint and septaria rubble, with some limestone rubble, and dressed with freestone. The nave and chancel have slated roofs, while the aisle and tower have flat roofs with parapets.

The church consists of a nave, chancel, a south aisle, and a south-west tower. A vestry and organ chamber were added to the north side in the mid-19th century. The tower, dating from around 1330, has an outer doorway with a moulded and shafted design, and small moulded Y-traceried windows to its east and west sides. Above the windows are grotesque gargoyles. The inner doorway is deeply moulded, dating from the early 14th century, and contains a pair of original doors with ovolo-moulded fillets and cross-battening. The floor of the ringing chamber is original. A wooden doorframe in the outer doorway is dated 1699, bearing flanking initials; the first floor above is partly constructed from components of a medieval rood screen.

The south aisle, also from the mid-14th century, contains four windows with curvilinear tracery and a cusped-headed piscina. A five-bay nave arcade features octagonal piers with moulded capitals. The wide chancel arch is similar in style. The chancel has a 14th-century south doorway and a piscina with pierced traceried spandrels.

The nave was largely remodelled in the 15th century when the clerestory was added and a fine five-bay roof built. This roof incorporates cambered tie beams with curved queenstruts to principal rafters; secondary trusses have arch braced principals and braces clasping the ridge. There are no collars. Fine carved bosses are found at the intersections of the roof, with embattling to the tie-beams and cornice. The lean-to aisle roof is similar with three tiers of purlins. Restored angels are present at the wallposts, along with decorative cresting. The chancel windows are 15th century and were restored in the 19th century.

A good 15th-century octagonal limestone font features emblems of the evangelists alternating with shield-bearing angels, along with lions and wild men around the stem. The chancel contains an 18th-century marble slab with a carved achievement, and four other slabs in the sanctuary belonging to 18th-century members of the Ray family. Around ten other slabs are in the nave, seven of which have brass indents dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. A wall monument in the nave commemorates Robert Offwood, who died in 1756, and his wife and three infants. Two other wall monuments from the early 18th century are located in the aisle. Five painted hatchments are displayed on the nave walls.