Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is an Anglican parish church showing development across several periods, from the 12th century, with significant alterations in the 14th century, the 1770s for the long chapel, and a rebuilding of the chancel in 1879. The building is constructed of rendered rubble stone with dressed limestone detailing and a stone slate roof.

The plan includes a nave and rebuilt chancel under a single roof, a north chapel adjoining the chancel, a west bellcote, and a south porch. A gabled porch of the 19th century stands on the south side, featuring a depressed Tudor-arched opening, a coped verge with a cross finial, and a fine 12th-century inner doorway. This doorway has beaded chevrons and crenellations to the round arch, restored pilasters with scalloped capitals, and a tympanum carved with beaded tendrils and palmettes. A ledged door, with scrolled ornamental hinges and bars, believed to date to the 14th century, is set within.

The nave has a restored 2-light cinquefoil mullioned casement with a hoodmould. A projection provides access to former rood stairs, featuring a 2-light cavetto-mullioned casement, with a diagonal buttress to the right. The chancel, rebuilt in 1879, contains a 3-light east window with interlaced tracery. The north chapel, dedicated to the Long family and associated with the demolished Whaddon House, is characterised by 2-light windows with Y-tracery, blind on the north and west sides but open to the east. The north side of the nave contains a 3-light 16th-century cinquefoiled window with hoodmoulds, and a blocked 12th-century doorway with a segmental-headed stone lintel on pilasters with imposts. The west end features a 14th-century two-light pointed window with ogees. The west gable’s corbelled bellcote features diagonally-set, shouldered openings, and brattishing at the base of the short, octagonal spire.

Inside, the nave and chancel are covered by 19th-century scissor-rafter roofs, and the floors are laid with polychrome tiles, also of the 19th century. A stone newel staircase leads to the former rood loft, located behind a 19th-century pulpit. An octagonal stone font, dating to the 19th century, stands at the west end, and there is 19th-century seating throughout. The 1879 east window contains stained glass depicting Walter and Richard Long. A stone reredos, located below the window, features three trefoil-headed arches on marble shafts. Stained glass over the pulpit commemorates George Merret, who died in 1945. A wide, elliptical archway, with a dropped keystone, connects to the north chapel, which houses a collection of Long family memorials, including a large, grey marble classical monument decorated with amphorae, Roman torches, a Greek key pattern, and dedicated to Walter Long, who died in 1807, a significant work by King of Bath; a large, white marble monument to Katherine Long, who died in 1814, with a relief scene representing Job v.26; and several 17th and 18th-century floor tablets to the Long family, including one with a brass inlay to Henrie, who died in 1612.