Parish Church Of St Andrew

Parish church. The building comprises a 13th-century chancel, 15th-century nave, 16th-century tower, 1840s porch, and north aisle of 1885. It is constructed of roughly dressed stone with some granite and local stone dressings, with an asbestos slate roof. The north arcade and chancel arch are of Purbeck stone.

The 13th-century plan probably originally consisted of nave and chancel, and 13th-century chancel walling survives. The nave was rebuilt in the 15th century, and a west tower was added in the 16th century. The non-alignment of chancel, nave and tower may be due to the site. In the 1840s the south porch was added, together with a large north transept and probably the north east vestry.

A major restoration was carried out by the Newman family in 1885, which replaced the north transept with a 2-bay aisle and replaced the chancel arch in the Early English style. The east wall of the chancel was partly rebuilt. A 19th-century Perpendicular 3-light east window with hoodmould and label stops was inserted. The chancel south wall contains two probably 13th-century lancet windows, the westernmost chamfered.

The nave has two 15th-century 3-light Perpendicular windows with hoodmoulds and label stops; the south wall was partially rebuilt. The 1840s porch has a gabled roof and a doorway with segmental arch.

The tower is a dressed granite and freestone structure of three stages with battlements. Masonry is brought to course above a plinth which extends partly round the west end of the nave. The tower has unconventional features: the west buttresses are diagonal, the south east buttress is angled, and the moulded string course below the parapet forms the hoodmould to the belfry openings. A projecting rectangular north east stair turret is present. The west doorway is moulded and arched with hoodmould and label stops, beneath a 3-light Perpendicular west window; the string course rises to form the hoodmould. The west, south and east faces have 2-light belfry openings with cinquefoil heads; the north face has a similar 1-light opening. The north east stair turret is lit by a trefoil-headed 1-light window to the first stage. The south face has a trefoil-headed 1-light window below the belfry opening.

The north aisle is of two bays and bears a date plaque of 1885 with the arms of the Newman family. Its west window is 2-light Perpendicular in granite. Two further 19th-century Perpendicular 3-light north aisle windows have hoodmoulds and label stops. A nowy-headed slate sundial fixed to the south wall of the nave is inscribed with a church warden's name.

Parish stocks stand to the west of the porch.

Interior: The tower arch is tall and chamfered. A square font on four corner shafts is probably 15th-century; the remainder of the interior is largely of 1885. The chancel arch of 1885 is Purbeck with double chamfers, carried on engaged shafts with bell capitals. The 2-bay Purbeck north arcade has almost flat arches carried on piers of square section with engaged corner shafts with bell capitals. A wide 1885 arch connects the chancel and north east organ chamber cum vestry. The chancel roof of 1885 is arched with panels and ribs, featuring carved bosses. Arched brace and collar roofs of the same period cover the nave and aisle. 1885 benches and a contemporary rectangular pulpit with chamfered corners and blind tracery are present. Fixed to the east end of the north aisle are the 1840s commandment boards and creed above a stone painted with fleur de lys.

Two north aisle windows are signed Kempe and Towers, commemorating Elizabeth Newman, died 1909. A nave window signed Kempe commemorates Ralph Newman, died 1896. The east window, signed Kempe, commemorates Lionel Newman, died 1902. A brass of 1894 to Thomas Newman is fixed to the north wall of the aisle. Three old bell clappers are fixed to a timber frame on the north wall of the tower above verses with lettering formed by studs: "Our duty done/in belfry high/ now voiceless tongues/at rest we lie/".

The Newman family, who financed the north aisle over the family vault, purchased the Coryton estate in 1809. Although the 1885 restoration is not architecturally distinguished, the 16th-century tower and particularly the 13th-century chancel make this a Grade II* building.