Church Of St Birinus

Roman Catholic Church of 1849, designed by William Wilkinson Wardell for John Davey of Overy. It is constructed of coursed squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, and has a stone-slate roof. The church comprises a nave, chancel, north vestry, and south porch, and is built in the Decorated style.

The one-bay chancel features a three-light traceried east window and cusped single lights in the side walls. The nave has three bays with two-light side windows featuring flowing tracery, and all windows have carved head stops to their hoods. The central south porch has a richly-moulded doorway below a canopied statue of the Virgin and Child. The west wall contains cusped single lights flanking a large canopied standing figure of St Birinus, supported by an angel corbel. The gable parapets are topped with apex crosses, and above the chancel arch is a tall bellcote with a traceried opening.

The interior retains contemporary fittings, including a painted and gilded panelled ceiling with an elaborate cornice, and elaborately-canopied recesses for the piscina and font in the south wall. A traceried wooden chancel screen displays carved rood figures, and the chancel arch has rich foliage capitals and a surrounding painted inscription. Contemporary glass in the chancel windows is by Ward and Nixon, while a later stained-glass window is present in the nave. The interior is notably rich and complete. Wardell, a friend of Pugin, subsequently designed the Roman Catholic cathedrals of Melbourne and Sydney.