Tower Of Collegiate Chantry Of St Mary

The Tower of the Collegiate Chantry of St Mary is the west tower of a collegiate chantry church, dating from around 1372 or 1373. It is constructed of dressed and coursed slate rubble and stands approximately 80 feet tall, divided into three stages. The tower features stringcourses, diagonal buttresses with set-offs at the corners, and a polygonal stair turret on the southwest corner, which has a corbel table and a very small stone spire.

The main tower includes corbels, but the parapet above is missing. It has lancet windows at the ringing stage and slightly larger pointed arch openings at the bell stage above. The large west window has been converted into an archway and subsequently blocked. On the east side, there is a tall arch leading to the former nave, featuring a dressed stone two-centred arch with weathering above where the nave roof would have joined. The stair turret has small window slits. Although all the dressed and moulded stone from the windows has been removed, the moulded rib springing of the vault to the first stage remains. The roof is missing.

Historically, in 1373, Sir Guy de Brian, who was a standard-bearer to Edward III at the Battle of Crecy and lord of the manor, founded the collegiate chantry here. He endowed it with six priests, one rector, five fellows, and four clerks. Following the foundation, the tithes of the parish church were appropriated to the chantry, with one of its priests appointed as Minister to the church. The last rector of the chantry was Nicholas Morton. After the Dissolution, the chantry's revenues were granted to Thomas Arundel, and it remained with the Arundel family until the 17th century, when it passed to the Page family. Today, the only surviving structure above ground is the west tower of the chantry church. There may be some early fabric in the adjacent house known as The Chantry.