Church Of St Martin

Church of St Martin

This is a parish church of 14th-century origin with 15th-century porch and fittings, substantially restored in the late 19th or early 20th century. The walls are constructed of roughly coursed slate stone rubble, with a gabled slate roof. The plan comprises a nave, chancel, north and south aisles with chapels, a south porch, and a west tower.

The main structure dates from the Decorated period of the 14th century, though the porch may have been added in the 15th century. Some windows and fittings also date to the 15th century. The restoration undertaken in the late 19th or early 20th century was relatively restrained, causing little damage to the historic fabric.

Exterior features include a three-stage crenellated west tower with diagonal buttresses and a five-sided stair turret on the south side. The belfry openings contain four-centred lights. A simple chamfered two-centred voussoir arch appears on the west side, with a completely renewed Perpendicular-style window above it. The north aisle has a crenellated parapet and two stair projections—one at the west end with a quatrefoil light, and a shallower one at the east end serving the rood stairs. The four windows to the aisle are three-light openings with star tracery in the 14th-century Decorated style, largely original though some rendering and restoration has occurred. The north doorway is set beneath a divided buttress forming a porch. A three-light Perpendicular window at the east end of the aisle has been partly restored, and the tall five-light Perpendicular east window to the chancel is a complete restoration. The two windows on the south of the chancel and east end of the south aisle are also Perpendicular with restored tracery. The south aisle likewise has a crenellated parapet and a five-sided rood stair turret. Its windows match the Decorated style of the north aisle, though the window west of the stair turret is probably entirely reconstructed. The tall crenellated south porch features a four-centred voussoir arch with wide semi-round moulding, and early 19th-century gates with iron railings and decorative finials.

Internally, the south doorway has a simple two-centred chamfered voussoir arch. Identical north and south arcades of 14th-century date feature octagonal pillars with chamfered capitals and double-chamfered four-centred arches. In each arcade, the third bay contains a considerably taller arch with higher capitals, possibly suggesting evidence of previously existing transepts, though no other evidence supports this. A tall four-centred tower arch with high imposts rises at the west end. A trefoil-headed piscina exists in the chancel, and a similar stoup is positioned inside the south doorway. Inside the north doorway is an ogee-headed stoup. The internal walls are rendered except at the west end. All roofs are complete restorations: a wagon roof covers the nave, and flat beamed roofs cover the aisles. A medieval screen survives across the width of the church, though somewhat mutilated with the coving removed. Its panelling is painted with figures of saints and apostles. Two parclose screens are also preserved but heavily restored. The pulpit is constructed of carved timbers possibly reused from the screen or other early woodwork. On the north wall of the chancel is a wall memorial to Elizabeth Reynell, who died in 1662. The memorial comprises a slate slab with Latin inscription, marble pilasters on either side with a fluted frieze running across top and bottom, surmounted by three armorial shields.