Church Of St George

The Church of St George is a parish church largely dating to the 19th century, with earlier origins. The west tower may be from the 13th century, the north aisle from the 15th century, and the church was extensively restored in 1874-5 by Butterfield (Thompson). It is constructed of local stone rubble with slate roofs. The church comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, a vestry attached to the south wall of the chancel, and a south porch.

The west tower has a saddleback design, possibly from the 13th century, though the top stage was rebuilt by Butterfield. He also replaced many of the windows, installing a complete set of circa 15th century windows to the north aisle. The restoration work included new roofs for the nave and chancel, tiling, and the installation of a new font, benches, pulpit, and altar rails, costing £2,000.

Exterior features include 1874-5 windows with single, paired, and triple cusped lancet openings. The north aisle is buttressed with granite windows on the exterior (freestone to the interior), of an unusual Perpendicular design; the east window of the aisle is a 19th century copy. The west tower has a narrow, chamfered west doorway, a 3-light Decorated window (1874-5), and trefoil-headed lancets to the belfry stage – three to the west and east faces, and two to the north and south. The south porch is likely wholly from 1874-5, featuring a double-chamfered outer doorway, quatrefoil windows, a 19th century arched brace roof, and a chamfered inner doorway.

Inside, the walls are plastered. The tower arch is plain and rounded, and the chancel arch is formed by a tie beam with plastered infill above. A 5-bay arcade spans to the chancel, with capitals only to the corner shafts; there’s a chamfered 2-centred arch into the vestry. The nave features an 1874 scissor-braced roof, and a canted wagon ceiling in the chancel, incorporating a main truss with painted decorative detail. The north aisle has a late medieval wagon ceiling with moulded ribs and carved foliage bosses. The fittings are mainly by Butterfield, with the exception of a 20th century reredos featuring carved panels, cresting, and a matching altar. Other features include tiling, a communion rail with iron quatrefoils, and choir stalls with shaped ends and pierced quatrefoils. A timber drum pulpit sits on a plinth with carved quatrefoils, and the nave benches have boldly shaped ends. A particularly notable feature is the polished marble font with a moulded bowl, cylindrical stem, and four shafts on a moulded base. Several late 18th and early 19th century wall monuments are located in the north aisle. The east window of the north aisle (1875) is signed "O'Connor and Taylor," while the east window of the chancel and the west window were probably designed by Gibbs for Butterfield.