Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A substantial parish church of mixed dates, beginning in the early 13th century with the nave remodelled in the late 13th century, and substantially rebuilt and extended in the early 15th century. The building comprises an aisled nave with south porch, chancel, north aisle continued as a north chapel, and a west tower. It is constructed of roughcast with limestone ashlar dressings, roofed with lead over the main structure and stone slate over the chancel and adjoining north chapel.

The exterior displays the church's architectural development across several centuries. The early 15th-century three-light east window is square-headed. The south wall of the chancel contains, from right to left, an early 15th-century three-light square-headed window, an offset buttress, a 17th-century segmental-arched chamfered doorway, a late 18th-century wall tablet, and an early 15th-century two-light square-headed window. The north chapel, which continues from the aisle, has two offset buttresses and a 17th-century three-light cavetto-moulded mullioned window.

The north wall of the nave shows 17th-century one- and two-light stone mullioned windows inserted into a 15th-century clerestorey. The buttressed aisle contains a 17th-century segmental-arched chamfered doorway flanked by an early 15th-century two-light square and trefoil-headed window and an early 16th-century square- and round-headed window. A 15th-century one-light trefoil-headed window appears in the west wall. The south wall of the nave has two similar early 15th-century clerestorey windows and a crenellated parapet to the south aisle and porch. The porch itself features a late 13th-century pointed double-chamfered doorway with late 18th-century double-leaf doors, and a chamfered pointed arch to the south doorway with an ancient plank door. The porch is flanked by a late 13th-century two-light window and an early 15th-century two-light square-headed window.

The 15th-century west tower has offset corner buttresses, an early 15th-century three-light west window, and two-light square-headed windows to the top third level. The tower is crowned with a crenellated parapet with gargoyles to the spouts.

The interior contains significant medieval and later features. The east window features stained glass by Heywood Sumner dating to around 1900, and a painted reredos with beaten metal frame by Kate Bunce and her sister, also circa 1900, both in the Arts and Crafts style. The altar and panelled dado are contemporary with these works. A trefoil-headed piscina survives from the medieval period, alongside an early 18th-century altar rail.

Medieval brasses have been reset in the wall: those of Richard Yale and his wife (died 1498), John Hinde, rector (died 1422), and Eleanor Goodowhyn (died 1566). A chamfered and cavetto-moulded 15th-century arch opens to the north aisle. The double-chamfered early 15th-century chancel arch is accompanied by an early 17th-century screen which is arcaded with long columns and strapwork top.

The nave contains an early 17th-century pulpit with carved frieze and arcaded panels, a late 13th-century circular font, a pedimented mid-18th-century wall tablet, and a 17th-century four-bay king post roof. The south arcade dates from the late 13th century and comprises four bays with double-chamfered arches on round piers and abaci, the hood moulds terminating in face mask heads. The north arcade has three bays with two early 13th-century chamfered arches on corbels to the east and a late 13th-century arch similar to those of the south arcade to the west. An early 15th-century pointed arch with casement moulding opens beneath the west tower, its side arches resting on engaged columns with Perpendicular capitals and bases.

The north aisle contains four wall tablets, including a marble tablet by Westmancott for William Bowles (died 1801), depicting a seated young man and two grieving women. The aisle has a 17th-century lean-to roof and steps to the west tower. The south aisle contains a piscina, a 13th-century circular font, and a 17th-century lean-to roof. The sill of the west window displays late 16th-century coloured marble tomb fragments.

A moulded pointed arch opens to the one-bay early 15th-century north chapel, which contains a wall tablet to Henry Marten, dated 1641.