Church Of St Faith

The Church of St. Faith is an Anglican chapel of ease dating from the Saxo-Norman period, with later alterations. It is constructed of limestone rubble with a limestone slate roof and limestone coping. Originally comprising a nave and chancel, the chancel was later demolished.

The nave’s south wall contains two 15th-century windows with hollow-chamfered stone mullions and cinquefoil-cusped heads, each with a stopped hood. A central door is set within a 15th-century hollow-chamfered Tudor-arched surround featuring spandrels with a Tudor rose motif in relief and an asymmetrical hood with diamond stops. The north wall displays the outline and indentation of a former blocked central door, with a flat-chamfered round-headed arch stained red on its interior surface, alongside an Early English trefoil-headed door lancet with a moulded surround and stops in the form of heads, and a simple lancet window. The outline of a former round-headed arch to the chancel is visible at the east end, while a 2-light Perpendicular window is located at the west end, featuring a hood with stops in the form of heads. A double-arched former bellcote is integrated into the apex of the west gable end, consisting of two round-headed arches divided by a central square column with imposts, accompanied by similar engaged columns on either side and a flat gable end corner.

Internally, a round-headed roll-moulded chancel arch marks the former division, now blocked. The roof is of early timber construction, featuring tie and collar beams with through purlins and windbraces, resting on a 19th-century red tile floor. Fittings include an Early English font with a cylindrical bowl supported by four engaged shafts with roll mouldings at the top and bottom. A 17th-century wood pulpit with a sounding board and a reading desk occupies the northeast corner of the nave. A stone altar slab sits on a 17th-century table incorporated into an indentation created by the blocking of the chancel arch. A 17th-century turned wood communion rail with turned balusters and panelling is also present. A small piscina is set on an engaged wooden column to the left of the altar. The remains of a large stone piscina or font are located below a 19th-century settle against the east wall. A 17th-century chair with foliate carving stands to the left of the altar. 19th-century pews incorporate wood from 16th and 17th-century seating. Monuments include a limestone chest-tomb in the northeast corner of the nave dedicated to William Stratford and his wife Ann Walwyn, who died around 1590. The tomb features recumbent figures of the couple beneath a simple Roman Doric canopy with a pediment, shield of arms, and finials in the form of model chimneys. A white marble tablet decorated with a draped urn and palms commemorates Francis Stratford, who died in 1841, and is located on the south wall opposite the Stratford tomb. Two recumbent 18th and 19th-century limestone ledgers are set into the aisle, commemorating members of the Baker family.