Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is an Anglican parish church, dating from 1315. It is largely of the 14th century, with 15th-century chapels, a 18th-century tower and porch, and restorations circa 1850 by Francis Niblett and 1868-70 by Henry Woodyer, including lengthening of the chancel. The church is mainly constructed of squared and dressed stone, with some roughcast facing on the aisles, and has a stone slate roof with coped verges and saddlestones, some with cross finials.

The west tower was rebuilt in 1734 and stands three stages high, with stringcourses and stepped diagonal buttresses that end in crocketed pinnacles. It has an open trefoil panelled parapet with a pitched roof. The belfry openings are two-light windows with open stonework. A small projecting stair tower is located on the north side, and the west side features a large three-light Perpendicular window above a pointed arch doorway. Windows are generally two or three-light Perpendicular, with angel stops and elaborate tracery to those east of the chapels. A low, wide, ogee archway on the north side corresponds to the porch on the south side; this was raised to two storeys in the late 18th century, incorporating a small stone ridge stack and a two-light pointed arch leaded window to the south in the upper chamber. The lower chamber has blocked niches on both sides, stone wall seats, and a very old plank door with its original locking gear. The archway has moulded pointed arches with alternate cavetto and ovolo mouldings, and a hood mould.

Inside, the church has a four-bay pointed arcade to the aisles, with octagonal piers. The nave and north aisle have a crown post and beam roof, while the south aisle has a wagon roof. A two-bay choir arcade leads to the chapels. A Romanesque lead font, probably from the mid to late 12th century, stands in the south-west corner. The pulpit dates to 1622, and the pews are 19th-century with linenfold end panels. The Clifford Chapel, located to the north, contains two recumbent effigies on low tomb chests within arched recesses, believed to represent members of the Clifford family, probably from the early 14th century. Numerous good marble wall tablets, particularly relating to the Clifford family, are present, some carved by the local craftsman John Pearce, who was active in the late 18th century.