Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with origins in the late 12th century. The tower and windows date to the 15th century, with a significant rebuilding and extension in 1864 by J Colson, followed by later alterations. The church is constructed of rubble flint with limestone dressings, and has plain tile and leaded roofs.

The church comprises a medieval chancel, a nave, a south aisle, and a west tower. The chancel was rebuilt in the 19th century, and a polygonal vestry was added to the north, along with a later south chapel. The chancel has a 19th-century Perpendicular three-light east window with three panels of tracery and a kneelered gable. The south chapel has a Perpendicular three-light east window, a diagonal southeast buttress, and a stone parapet. A 19th-century two-light Perpendicular window and a northeast octagonal, pointed-roofed vestry, featuring a shoulder-arched doorway, lancets, and a medieval-style stone chimney are located in the north chancel wall. The south chapel wall includes two reused 15th-century two-light Perpendicular windows, either side of a reused 13th-century Decorated three-light window, and a crenellated parapet with lion head corbels. The south aisle wall has a stepped buttress near the east end and three restored 16th-century two-light square-headed cinquefoiled windows. The north nave wall contains three 19th-century two-light trefoiled windows with stepped buttresses. The 15th-century west tower incorporates a restored late 12th-century round-headed doorway of two orders with keeled rolls on the jambs. A 16th-century two-light cinquefoiled window sits above the doorway, and the upper stages of the tower feature square-headed lights, except for the north and south sides in the belfry, which have two-light 16th-century square headed windows.

Inside, the chancel east window has black marble nook shafts. The south arcade comprises two four-centred moulded arches, with a tomb chest decorated with quatrefoils containing shields positioned beneath. A 15th-century brass inscription is in the corner, and there is a corbelled pointed chancel arch. The nave south arcade consists of four two-order four-centred arches on octagonal piers, with splayed rear arches to the north. The tower arch, dating from around 1300, is pointed with two chamfered orders and imposts. The south aisle has splayed rear arches. The 14th-century octagonal font has carved sides of quatrefoils with shields or circles, a cinquefoiled stem, and stands on a base of a 12th-century font. A royal coat of arms dating from 1774 and a sarcophagus monument of 1819 to Rev George Armstrong are located on the north wall. A floor slab of 1776 marks Rob Carnell’s resting place. The aisle also holds monuments dating from 1767 to Rev John Imber, 1819 to Rev Swanton, 1826 to Rev William Short, 1841 to Mary Brereton, and a solid armorial board.