Church of St Martin

Church of St Martin

Church dating from the 13th century with additions from the late 14th and 15th centuries. The building was restored in 1856 by G.E Street. It is constructed of limestone and marlstone rubble with limestone-ashlar dressings, with Stonesfield slate and sheet-metal roofs.

The church consists of an aisled three-bay nave, chancel, south porch and west tower. The stone-slated chancel was rebuilt by Street and incorporates an early Perpendicular three-light east window with an ogee arch; it also has two lancets to the north and south and a blocked round-headed priest's door. The wide parapetted south aisle in banded rubble features an early Perpendicular three-light east window with reticulation, full-height mullions and transoms, and also contains a similar two-light window with trefoil-headed lights and a two-light window with reticulated tracery, both of earlier date. The porch has an outer arch of three continuous chamfered orders and a stone-slated roof. The narrow parapetted north aisle is probably 13th century but has three square-headed late 14th-century windows of two ogee lights, and a renewed lancet to the east. The clerestory has fine 15th-century square-headed windows in deep casement mouldings with richly cusped tracery. The 15th-century crenellated three-stage tower has diagonal buttresses and a deep moulded plinth. Above the west doorway, which has a label over a casement moulding and traceried spandrels, is a large early Decorated three-light window with cusped intersecting tracery. The top stage has two-light traceried openings, and there are gargoyles on the parapet string.

Interior: The chancel arch comprises two chamfered orders in banded ashlar, with the arms of Elizabeth I painted above its east face. The 13th-century south arcade has circular piers and moulded capitals, while the north arcade has crude octagonal piers. The clerestory windows have four-centred rere arches. The south aisle contains a small 14th-century piscina with a large foliage finial. The interior of the south porch has a ribbed quadripartite vault and conceals a richly-moulded 14th-century south doorway. The roofs of the nave and aisle are in 15th-century style with arched braces rising from wallposts, though they are probably wholly 19th century in date. In the tower arch is a vigorous 19th-century screen with canopied and crocketted arches and much carved decoration. A large 15th or 16th-century parish chest stands below the tower. The 12th-century font has crude chevron carving and has been partly recut to fit an octagonal stem.

The chancel contains wall monuments to Thomas Gylen (died 1637) with detached Ionic columns and an entablature carrying cherubs and an hourglass, and to William Croker (died 1709) with large Doric columns, a heavy segmental pediment and an achievement of arms. The nave contains wall monuments to John Lock (died 1714) with a Baroque surround of scrolls and foliage, and to Vice Admiral James Sayer (died 1776) in marble with elegant Classical detailing. There are also five hatchments. The stained glass includes two 14th-century fragments in the south aisle, a mid-19th-century east window, and a fine lancet of 1973 by John Piper. A dedication dating from 1273 is recorded.