Church Of St Agatha

The Church of St. Agatha is a largely 12th-century church, with significant additions and alterations spanning the 14th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. It is situated in Brightwell Cum Sotwell. The nave dates to the 12th century, the chancel and aisles were built in the early 14th century, the tower was rebuilt around 1797, the nave was ceiled around 1815, and the church was restored in 1858 and 1884. An organ chamber was added around 1903.

The church is constructed of coursed limestone rubble for the chancel, pebbledash on limestone rubble for the aisle and porch, uncoursed limestone rubble for the clerestory, and grey brick with red brick dressings for the tower. Welsh slate covers the roofs. The church consists of an aisled nave, a chancel, and a west tower. A studded plank door with wrought iron hinges is set within a porch located to the right of the aisle, and stone benches flank the porch. Two 2-light windows with geometrical tracery are present in the aisle. The clerestory features four 2-light stone mullion windows with trefoil lights and hood moulds. An organ chamber has a plank door with wrought iron hinges and a 2-light geometrical tracery window. The tower is of three stages, separated by flat brick bands. It has round-topped, louvred openings with wood Y-tracery, set within round-arched brick heads with keystones and stone imposts at the top stage, finished with a plain parapet.

At the rear of the church, a 19th-century restored Romanesque doorway, with a plank door, is centrally located on the aisle. A moulded round-arched doorway, with capitals to missing columns, is adjacent. There are two 2-light reticulated tracery windows to the left and right of the aisle, four 2-light stone mullion windows with trefoil lights and hood moulds to the clerestory, a 2-light geometrical tracery window to the left of the chancel, and a 3-light reticulated tracery window to the right return of the aisle. A 19th century 3-light plate tracery window illuminates the east end of the chancel.

Inside, a stone spiral roof stair is situated to the left of the chancel arch. A 15th-century collar braced roof is above the chancel. Lean-to roofs, one 15th century and one 19th century, are positioned on the north and south aisles, respectively. A 14th-century piscina and sedilia, with an ogee head, are found to the right of the chancel. A moulded beam with angle braces supports the chancel arch. The south arcade comprises three 2-centred arches supported on round piers, and the north arcade features three 2-centred arches resting on octagonal piers. The church also contains a 19th-century font and pulpit.