Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Parish church. The building dates primarily to the 15th century, though it includes some 16th-century modernisation, with the tower and porch refurbished in 1677. It is constructed of local stone rubble with larger dressed stone quoins, supplemented by red sandstone and purple volcanic ashlar, particularly in the north aisle. Hamstone and Beerstone ashlar provide decorative detail. The roof is concrete tile, formerly slate.

The plan comprises a nave and chancel under a continuous roof, north and south aisles, a west tower, and a north porch. The original nave and chancel probably occupied the present nave, with both aisles built full length. The north aisle retains remains of the Ayshford Chapel, while the present chancel dates to the late 15th century.

The west tower rises in two stages with angle and diagonal buttresses and an embattled parapet. A semi-octagonal stair turret in the north-west corner is surmounted by a wrought iron weather vane. The belfry windows are 2-light Hamstone with stone grilles. A good Hamstone west doorway has a round-headed moulded surround with capitals and keystone, containing an original studded oak door with ovolo-moulded coverstrips. A Hamstone plaque directly above has an egg and date frame with mostly weathered inscription, though two legible dates remain: 1638, which accords with when the bells were rehung, and 1677, thought to be the doorway date. Above the plaque stands a Hamstone 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould with label stops carved as human heads.

The south aisle overlaps the tower where a large blocked Beerstone 2-centred arch of unknown function survives. A tiny Beerstone window above has been replaced in the 20th century. Both aisles contain Beerstone 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery. The chancel windows are Hamstone, also with Perpendicular tracery; one on the south side is square-headed. A narrow blocked priests' doorway lies on the south side of the chancel. The south aisle rood stair turret was converted to a chimneystack in the 19th century. Near the west end of the north aisle is a gabled porch with a round-headed Hamstone outer arch in simpler form than that in the tower, probably contemporary with 1677. Above is a likely 15th-century Beerstone niche with crocketted canopy, and above that a Beerstone panel carved with sunken quartrefoils containing heraldic arms. The north doorway is a Tudor arch with moulded surround and contains 19th-century doors.

Interior

The nave and chancel have a continuous ceiled wagon-like roof, apparently 19th century with applied strips as purlins and ribs and plain block bosses. The wall plate in the chancel, however, is original, carved as foliage and interrupted by a series of angels holding shields. Both aisles have 15th-century ceiled wagon roofs with moulded purlins and ribs and carved oak bosses; some have been replaced, particularly in the north aisle. The south aisle roof has a moulded wall plate while the north aisle wall plate is carved and interrupted by carved angels holding shields.

A tall plain tower arch separates the tower from the nave. There is no chancel arch. Both sides of the nave contain 3-bay Beerstone arcades with moulded columns (Pevsner's type B), though the capitals and bases differ. In the 19th century the rood stair was converted to a chimneystack; in the 20th century it was restored to its original form with plain Beerstone doorways in the south aisle. A corresponding round-backed alcove occupies the same position in the north aisle. The walls are plastered. The floor is stone-flagged with some graveslabs in the Ayshford Chapel. The sanctuary floor comprises patterns of 19th-century encaustic tiles. A plain Beerstone piscina in the sanctuary is probably original.

A sandstone reredos in Gothic style was erected in memory of Isabella Macritchie (died 1891). An ornately carved 18th-century altar table with claw feet stands in the sanctuary. A 19th-century oak altar rail with wrought iron standards and 19th-century stalls in Gothic style are present. Part of the original oak rood screen has been set across the front of the present chancel. It comprises 5 bays with panelled wainscotting featuring square-headed windows containing slender Perpendicular tracery and a replacement cornice. In front of it stands a rare example of a front stall, possibly contemporary with the screen and in the same style. A Gothic style sandstone pulpit erected to commemorate the 1887 Jubilee and a 19th-century oak eagle lectern are positioned in the church. 19th-century oak benches with ends carved with blind Gothic tracery serve as seating.

A good 15th-century Hamstone font has an octagonal bowl carved with sunken quatrefoils, a panelled stem with corner pilasters, and a 2-step plinth. The Ayshford Chapel altar is a good 17th-century table with carved bulbous legs and an inlaid marquetry frieze.

Monuments include an undated chest tomb in the sanctuary in memory of William Ashford (died 1508), featuring a black marble lid with Beerstone sides carved as a blind crocketted arcade containing a series of angels with shields; the paint is 19th or 20th century. Two good 17th-century mural monuments in the Ayshford Chapel, built of different marbles and painted, feature carved figures kneeling each side of a prayer desk in ornate architectural frames surmounted by the Ayshford arms. One commemorates Regery Ayshford (died 1610) and the other Elizabeth Ayshford (died 1635). The chancel contains a 19th-century painted board featuring the Lord's Prayer, and the tower arch is flanked by 19th-century Commandment boards. Two bolection-framed panels have been painted over. Most stained glass is 19th century, though earlier glass is preserved in the tracery.