Church of St. Mary

Church of St. Mary

Church. Mainly 12th and 15th century with 19th century chancel. Built of flint, tile, rubble and Ferricrete with Bath stone dressings; the chancel is rendered. Old tile roofs cover the nave and aisle separately, with two dormers on the south side of the nave—one to the left is hipped with a three-light casement, the other to the right has two Gothic lights with Y-tracery. The building comprises a west tower, nave, north aisle, chancel, south porch and vestry.

West Tower: Built circa 1450 in two stages with a plinth and diagonal buttresses to the west. A string course and corbel table with carved gargoyles run around it, above which is a coped parapet with four corner obelisks topped with ball finials and weathervanes. A newel turret on the first stage to the north has a lean-to old tile roof. The bellchamber has two-light louvred openings with cusped heads on each face. A clock and one-light cusped opening with square head and hoodmould are positioned high up on the first stage to the south. The west doorway features a four-centered moulded arch within a square head, with quatrefoils carved in the spandrels and a hoodmould with uncarved shields as stops. Above is a three-light window with panelled tracery and a hoodmould with spiral stops. Carvings of a Crucifixion and a man with a wheel appear on the south-east buttress. A small circular two-light opening sits high up on the north face.

Nave: A 12th century semi-circular arched doorway, off-centre to the left, is of one order with one plain and one twisted shaft, scalloped capitals, dog-tooth and other ornaments, and is crowned at the apex with a carved face, orb and Maltese cross. The doorway has a boarded door with old ironwork. To the left is a window of two cusped lights with a square head and returned hoodmould; the window to the right is similar but panelled between the lights.

South Porch: Dated 1603 in the gable but rebuilt circa 1895. It is built of flint with stone dressings, has a gabled tiled roof with decorated barge boards, and a plain semi-circular arch.

Chancel: A central 13th century style arched doorway to the south with a boarded door is flanked by two lancets. A three-light east window has panelled tracery and a hoodmould with carved stops. The north side has a lancet to the left and a gabled projection to the right with a two-light square-headed window.

North Aisle: A 19th century three-light window to the east has panelled tracery and returned hoodmould. Two three-light windows to the north have cinquefoiled heads under square heads with returned hoodmoulds. A central blocked four-centered arched doorway with carved spandrels and modern inscription is surmounted by carved stone with a weathered stone canopy. A 19th century pebbledashed vestry with planted timbers and hipped tile roof stands to the north of the tower.

Interior: The nave contains a three-bay 15th century north arcade with chamfered arches and a four-bay crownpost roof. There are box pews, a 17th century octagonal pulpit with guilloche ornament around the panelling and tester, and a west galley of circa 1824. Six hatchments are displayed, along with a coat of arms above the chancel arch and four panels with creed and commandments of circa early 19th century in the north aisle. The chancel features a 19th century chamfered arch with half-octagonal piers, moulded bases and capitals with hoodmoulds with carved stops, a 19th century arch-braced roof, a Squire's pew to the north, 17th century communion rails with twisted balusters, and some old armour. Glass in the north aisle and chancel is by Brangwyn of 1912.

Monuments include one to Henry Winchcombe of 1703 with two putti flanking a coat of arms under drapery, framed by panelled pilasters that break up in the centre to support a flaming urn, and one to Howard Winchcombe of 1749 with two Corinthian columns supporting a triangular pediment bearing a coat of arms.