Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is an Anglican parish church dating from the 14th century, with significant restoration work undertaken around 1868 by H. James of Gloucester, and a north vestry added in 1864. The church is constructed with roughcast facing, with an ashlar tower, and has a stone slate roof with coped verges, a saddlestone to the east, a cross to the chancel, and a small sanctus bellcote to the nave.

The church comprises a three-stage west tower, a nave with a south porch, and a lower chancel with a small attached vestry. The tower has string courses, stepped diagonal buttresses, a plinth, a parapet of pierced trefoils, and a pitched roof. It features twin ogee belfry openings with quatrefoil ornamentation and arched hood moulds. A projecting stair tower is located on the north side, with thin lancet windows and a door at its base. A clockface is on the east side, and a long trefoil slit is on the south side of the top stage. The west side features a pointed arch doorway with double-chamfered reveals, a hood mould, and a tall two-light window above with an acutely pointed arch and hood mould. The majority of windows are two-light Decorated style, with three in the nave, one three-light window to the south east, and a three-light east window. Stepped stone buttresses are situated between the bays, and are positioned diagonally at the porch and chancel.

The south porch doorway has a double-chamfered pointed arch, a niche, and a sundial above. Inside the porch is a small trefoil niche to the right and a small glazed lancet to the left. The chancel has a priest’s door flanked by two windows.

The interior of the nave features tie beams and king posts; the principals are not visible. There is a plain, tall tower arch and a triple-chamfered chancel arch, with plastered walls. A piscina and credence shelf are located on the south wall of the chancel, with cinquefoil heads. Various fine grey and white marble wall tablets, primarily from the 18th century, adorn the walls, including work by Ricketts, Pearce of Frampton, and Nollekens. A Perpendicular octagonal font has a panelled stem. Glass in the chancel is by Clayton and Bell. Two very old ruby glass windows, likely dating back to around 1340, are in the nave, depicting figures of Sts John and Mary in one and St Margaret and another female saint in the other. Restored 15th-century glass survives in the south west window of the chancel.