Church Of St Gregory

The Church of St Gregory is a parish church dating back to the 12th century, with significant additions and alterations throughout the subsequent centuries. It stands in Marnhull, with a north chapel, north arcade from the 14th century, a 15th-century west tower, chancel arch, and part of the south arcade. The tower was restored in the 18th century, followed by the addition of a south aisle and porch in 1852, a chancel and vestry in 1881, and an organ chamber in 1897.

The church is constructed of squared, coursed rubble and ashlar, with tiled, stone-slated, and lead roofs, featuring gables and a flat section. The building plan includes a nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, a north chapel, a south organ chamber, a north vestry, and a south porch. The architecture is largely perpendicular, although the chancel displays 19th-century decorative features.

The three-stage west tower is characterized by square set buttresses with pinnacles at each stage, weathered strings, canopied niches, and a parapet with corner pinnacles. A moulded, four-centred doorway with head-stops and a five-light vertical tracery window with a two-centred head are prominent features on the west face. The octagonal vice-turret and belfry openings, which are two-centred with mullions, transoms, returned labels and vertical tracery, stand out.

The north aisle has two two-centred, two-light vertical tracery windows to the north and three lancets under a relieving arch to the west. The north chapel features square-headed windows of three lights with tracery forming a four-centred head. The chancel windows have flowing tracery under two-centred heads. A two-centred chancel south door is present. The north aisle has three-light, 19th-century vertical tracery windows under two-centred heads. The gabled porch has a moulded two-centred head and continuous jambs, leading to an inner doorway with a four-centred head in a square surround.

Internally, the north arcade consists of five bays with two-centred arches and straight, chamfered orders. The north arcade piers are octagonal, except for the second from the east which features a square central shaft with a three-quarter keeled shaft on each face. These shafts have decorated cushion capitals, with three human masks on the north capital. The south arcade has four bays with two-centred, moulded arches and capitals with foliage enrichment, with an angel corbel supporting the east respond. The north aisle to chapel arch and chancel arch are moulded and two-centred with 16th-century carved angel capitals. A two-centred, moulded tower arch is also present. The west nave roof is a 16th-century structure with moulded intersecting beams and wall plates, including coffers bearing quatrefoils and carving. A simplified, probably 19th-century copy of the nave roof is in the chapel. The north aisle has a 16th-century waggon roof with later tie-beams, while the chancel and south aisle have 19th-century collar truss roofs. A chest tomb from around 1470, belonging to the Carent family, features blind tracery sides and three recumbent effigies. A brass dated 1596 to R S A Warrin is also present, along with various 17th, 18th, and 19th-century monuments. A 15th-century square stone font sits on a panelled stem. Fragments of 15th-century glass, 16th and 18th-century wall paintings, and an ogee, cusped headed piscina in the north chapel are noteworthy features. The remaining fittings are mainly from the 19th century.