Church Of St Catherine

Small Anglican church with foundations dating from the 12th century, with some 12th-century work probably remaining in the south nave wall. The chancel was altered in the 13th century, a tower was added by the 14th century and raised probably in the 15th century. The chancel was rebuilt in 1841 and lengthened by one bay in 1879. A north east corner of the aisle and south east vestry were added in 1955.

The church is constructed of random coursed rubble stone with dressed stone to the tower on a chamfered base plinth. The roof is of stone slate with coped verges. The plan comprises a nave with a large north aisle containing four small gabled bays, a south porch and transeptal tower to the south, a chancel with a small south east vestry and north east aisle extension.

The tower has two stages with a stringcourse, stepped diagonal buttresses on the lower stage, and an embattled parapet with gargoyles. There is a polygonal north west stair vice and turret with weathervane. The south side of the tower has a 2-light 19th-century Decorated-style window to the lower stage, a single small lancet and sundial above the stringcourse, and 2-light trefoil-headed belfry louvres to each face with a clockface to the north. The south porch, dating from the 14th century, has a stepped hollow-moulded pointed arch with a large coped gable and small diagonal buttresses. The south wall of the nave has 19th-century buttresses and two 2-light square-headed Perpendicular windows, the eastern one containing some 15th-century fabric. The 4-bay north aisle has similar fenestration. A 3-light Decorated-style west window is present.

Internally, the porch contains low stone side seats, a trefoiled stoup to the east, and an arch-braced collar truss roof with moulded collar purlin. The chancel has a double piscina on the south wall with a small central Purbeck shaft and trefoil hoods. A 3-bay plastered chancel roof has moulded ribs set on engaged shafts. The base of the tower is used as a baptistery with a squint through the tower arch to the chancel and contains a Perpendicular octagonal font with quatrefoil panelling. The nave has an arch-braced roof on corbels, some of medieval date, a late 19th-century pulpit and lectern, and semi-circular topped pews dating to around 1840 made of grained deal. The 4-bay north arcade has octagonal piers in Early English style.

Monuments include a marble memorial in the north east aisle to Robert (the elder) and George Holford (died 1839) by R. Westmacott the younger, and a fine alabaster recumbent effigy on a tomb chest with cusped canopy of Robert Staynor Holford, died 1892, possibly by W.S. Frith.