Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is an Anglican parish church largely dating to the 15th century, with significant alterations in the 18th century and a complete rebuilding of the chancel in 1861. It is constructed of dressed limestone and ashlar, with stone slate on the nave roof and Welsh slate on the chancel roof, topped by an octagonal stone stack. The church comprises a west tower, a nave with a projecting south porch, a chancel, a north organ chamber, and a vestry.

The 19th-century south porch features a segmental-headed double ribbed door and coped verge with a cross finial; a 1622 tablet is likely reset within its structure. The nave has a chamfered pointed window from the 18th century on its left side, a memorial tablet to the Tillie family, a large segmental-headed window with a central mullion to its right, a large pedimented tablet bearing an illegible inscription, and a buttress with offsets. A stone eaves cornice runs along the top. A lean-to structure with a pointed ribbed door abuts the south side of the chancel. The chancel’s east wall has a three-light Perpendicular window.

The north side of the nave incorporates a moulded pointed doorway and an 18th-century, deeply chamfered pointed window to the right. The three-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses, string courses, and a moulded plinth. A moulded Tudor-arched west doorway is flanked by a three-light Perpendicular window above. The middle stage has a single arched light to the west and south sides, while the bellstage has two-light louvred Perpendicular windows. A cornice with gargoyles sits below a battlemented parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles, topped with a pyramidal stone slate roof. A polygonal stair turret projects from the north side of the tower, featuring arrow loops.

Internally, the porch contains an 18th-century inner doorway with a segmental head and dropped keystone. The nave has a shallow barrel-vaulted ceiling with wooden ribs and a dentil cornice. A 19th-century west gallery, supported by wooden posts and featuring cusped panelled frontwork, partially fills the moulded pointed tower arch, which has attached shafts. Two Tudor-arched moulded arches lead into the organ chamber and vestry, and the area has a collar truss roof. The chancel has a coved plaster ceiling divided into three rib-panelled bays and a panelled dado from the 20th century. Other fittings include pews with poppy heads, likely from the early 20th century; a 19th-century pulpit with traceried panels; a square stone font with an unusual fluted bowl; Commandment boards flanking the chancel’s east window; and a 17th-century parish chest fixed to the south nave wall. Monuments include a 1663 tablet to Christopher Baylie, reset in the vestry; a fine monument to John Bayley, who died in 1665, featuring twisted columns and a broken segmental pediment; a draped marble tablet to Edward Wadman, who died in 1742; classical black and white marble tablets to Thomas Morris (died 1818), by Reeves of Bath, and to Reverend Edward Spencer (died 1819). Several 19th-century brass tablets commemorate the Copland Griffiths and Caillard families, the latter of whom resided at Wingfield House. Stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops are present.