Parish Church Of St Mary

The parish church of St Mary is a building of mixed dates, with a 12th-century core. The west tower and south chapel were rebuilt in the 17th century, and a north aisle was added in 1891. The church is constructed of rubble-stone walls with stone dressings, and has roofs covered in slate and tile.

The three-stage west tower features a semi-circular newel-stair leading to the ringing chamber, topped with a stone slab roof. Diagonal anti right-angle buttresses have set-offs, and the roof is pyramidal and slate-covered. A late 17th-century doorway is found in the north wall, with chamfered jambs and a two-centred head. The west window also dates to the late 17th century and has a two-centred head. The bell-chamber has windows of both 14th and 17th-century date.

The nave has three bays. South-side windows are two-light, trefoil-cusped with square heads containing three small lights. A small rectangular light is located to the east of this. A doorway, dating from around 1800, is situated between the windows, featuring a segmental head, a studded wooden door, strap-hinges, and a wooden frame. The south chapel, known as the Bexington chapel, has a 19th-century two-light window with a quatrefoil head, and a returned keeled label over. A 19th-century doorway in the west wall has a four-centred head. The chancel has a single-light window with a trefoil-cusped head, a label with square stops, and a three-light east window with a four-centred head and label. The north aisle has three bays, each with three stepped lancets, segmental-pointed rere-arches, and a straight chamfer under a pitched slate roof.

Inside, the tower arch was raised in the 17th century and bears the inscription “N and R M 1678”. The nave is barrel-vaulted with plaster. A north arcade rests on cylindrical piers with moulded capitals and bases. Pointed arches are straight chamfered with sunk quadrants dating from the 19th century. The chancel arch is from the 12th century and originally comprised two plain orders, with one scallop-capital and one base surviving. A pointed arch with a single straight chamfer leads into the Bexington chapel.

The church contains a font and two font bowls, both from the 12th century. The base bowl is decorated with a man’s face and palmette ornament, as well as stylized foliage. The top bowl features cable ornament and straps forming lozenges. A 17th-century wooden font cover has panelled sides and a knop. A wall-painting over the chancel arch dates from the 16th century and depicts stencilled Tudor roses and three framed scenes, accompanied by a central inscription. Wall monuments include one to Sir Robert Napier on the south wall, dating from the late 17th century, featuring broken segmental pediments, an urn, an achievement of arms, an inscription, and a cartouche. Another to Sir Robert Napier is found in the north aisle, erected in 1691, with a broken segmental pediment, columnar framing, and composite capitals, supporting a central slate tablet bearing an inscription, all resting on volute brackets with a skull at the centre.