Church Of St Stephen

The Church of St Stephen is a parish church largely dating to the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations made in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. It was restored in 1883 by W Butterfield. The church is constructed of rubble flint with stone dressings, featuring an old plain tile and lead roof, weatherboarded and shingled belfry. The original Norman plan comprised a chancel and nave, to which a 13th-century south aisle was added. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century, and a 15th-century west tower was constructed. In the 19th century, the chancel was lengthened, a north aisle and north vestry were added, and a southwest porch was built.

The east window of the chancel is a 15th-century three-light cinquefoiled window with a traceried head, reset in the 19th century. The south wall displays a buttress marking the end of the original chancel, followed by a blocked 13th-century pointed door and two 19th-century two-light windows. The 19th-century north vestry extends the north aisle, featuring a 19th-century two-light east window and a north door. The south aisle contains a 15th-century two-light cinquefoiled east window, and two and three-light 19th-century windows separated by a buttress. A gabled, weatherboarded porch stands on the south side, built on a masonry plinth. The interior of the south door is dated 1631, with a semi-circular panel above displaying a tablet and a door constructed of square panels and strapwork. A 15th-century two-light window is located at the west end of the south aisle. The 19th-century north aisle has a buttress, four two-light windows, and a single window to the west, all under a low-pitched lead roof. A 19th-century clerestory with one and two-light windows sits above, with remnants of a corbelled stack. The roof over the clerestory corresponds with the roof over the south side, creating a mansard roof over the south aisle. The west tower has a large 15th-century southwest buttress, tall lower stages with offsets, a restored 15th-century two-light west window, and a timber 19th-century belfry with two openings on each side and a hipped roof.

Inside the chancel, a 19th-century pointed arch leads to the north vestry, which contains a reset late 17th-century oak organ screen of Doric columns and entablature. The chancel arch is a 15th-century four-centred arch of two orders, with the outer order keeled and the inner order coved; a 1910 screen in an Arts & Crafts style by G H Kitchin stands within the arch. The nave features a 12th-century south arcade of three semi-circular arches with two chamfered orders, round piers, and responds. A 19th-century north arcade comprises two pointed arches on clustered columns and a small pointed arch to the west, with a clerestory above. The tower arch is a 15th-century design of two orders, the outer order keeled and the inner order coved. The tower and south windows retain 15th-century rear arches. A 17th-century West Country oak lectern and three reset 17th-century coved oak allegorical panels, originally from Otterbourne church and of Flemish origin, are located in the southeast corner of the nave and south aisle.