Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with significant fabric from the 12th century, 15th century, and 18th century, and was restored in 1850 and 1879 by Ewan Christian. A vestry was added in 1884. The church is constructed of squared, coursed stone, with a timber-framed tower that is brick nogged and set on a stone plinth. Stone slate roofs cover most of the building, with Welsh slate on the tower. The church comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, and north vestry.

The north facade features a timber-framed tower with four stages, incorporating close-studded timber framing and brick nogging set on edge. A square opening with louvres is at the top stage, and a four-light mullioned window is on the lowest stage, along with a two-light mullion and transom window on the west face. The nave has a diagonally-set buttress to the right and a double-boarded door with roll moulding and a semi-circular tympanum depicting an agnus dei and two lions. Nook shafts flank the doorway, with scalloped and carved animal capitals, and a chevron-and-cable moulding around the arch. A billet-moulded string course runs along the wall, curving to clear the doorhead. A flat-headed two-light window is positioned centrally above the door, and the north facade is punctuated with lancets at each end. The parapet gables feature an octagonal base on the eastern apex, minute crenellations, a short tapered section, and originally carried a cross. The north vestry features a lancet window, a parapet gable with a cross-gablet apex, and two lancets in the return wall. The chancel’s north wall is plain with a parapet gable and cross-gablet apex displaying a floriate cross.

Inside, the nave walls are plastered, and there is a wide arch to the chancel, supported by short marble columns with corbels. The nave roof is a three-bay structure with king-post trusses, purlins, a plank ridge, and wind braces. Mortices in the tie beams suggest a previous flat, plastered ceiling. The tower base is open to the nave, with curving St Andrew's cross bracing to the walls. The chancel is plastered and features a blind arch to the vestry. A collar rafter roof with arch braces rises from spurs at eaves level. The church houses a 19th-century circular stone font, a 1661-dated panelled timber pulpit on a 19th-century stone base, and wooden communion rails with a trefoil-headed arcade. The early chancel arch was removed during the 1879 restoration, and the chancel is said to have been rebuilt at that time. The nave roof likely dates from before the mid-18th century. The church forms a group with nearby Court and barns.