Church Of St Thomas Of Canterbury

Church of St Thomas of Canterbury

Parish church. The chancel dates from the 14th century but was substantially rebuilt in 1848. The remainder of the church is 15th century, with restoration work carried out in 1881. The chancel walls are constructed of local stone rubble, while elsewhere the walls are of granite ashlar. The roofs are gable-ended with slate covering and 19th-century coping stones to the gables.

The building comprises a nave, chancel, north aisle, west tower and south porch. The north aisle, judged by its windows, appears to be late 15th century and may postdate both the nave and tower. The south porch has no dateable features and was probably substantially rebuilt in the 19th century.

The 3-stage west tower is crenellated with four plain pinnacles and set-back buttresses with offsets. It has a chamfered plinth, 2-light straight-headed belfry lights, and a west doorway with a 4-centred stone arch featuring hollow and roll moulding, with an arched hoodmould that continues as a stringcourse. The west window is granite with three lights and simple Decorated-style tracery, probably restored. An arched hoodmould above the window continues as the stringcourse.

The north aisle's west wall contains a 2-light straight-headed granite window with chamfered mullion, likely inserted in the 17th century. Two further north windows have moulded granite jambs and chamfered mullions with cinquefoiled heads; the right-hand window has had its head restored and is 2-light, while the other is original and 3-light. Both have square hoodmoulds with a buttress between them. At the aisle's east end is a 2-light granite window with very simple late Perpendicular tracery. The aisle has a coved granite cornice and chamfered plinth. The east window is a 3-light 19th-century restoration in the Decorated style.

On the south side, the chancel has two windows: a similar 2-light restored Decorated-style window to the left and a single trefoiled lancet to the right, of granite with an arched hoodmould, probably original. The south aisle has a coved stone cornice and chamfered plinth. Its easternmost window is probably original, of granite with three cinquefoiled lights, the central one taller. To the west of the porch is a 2-light mullion window with probably restored mullion and cinquefoiled heads. The single-storey gabled south porch has a plain rubble stone arched doorway with chamfered imposts, above which is a slate sundial.

Interior

The porch has a plastered wagon roof with remains of a holy water stoup. The granite south doorway has an acute 4-centred arch with hollow chamfer and worn stops. The interior of the church has been rendered in the 20th century. A 3-bay granite arcade to the north aisle comprises depressed 4-centred arches with Pevsner A-type piers having deep moulded cup capitals and moulded bases. A similar tall 4-centred chancel arch springs from a corbel on the left-hand side. A tall rendered pointed tower arch survives. The rood screen has been removed but the opening to its stairs remains. A squint connects the aisle to the chancel.

The roof over the nave and aisle comprises wagon roofs incorporating some old timbers. The nave roof has carvings in high relief to its purlins and principal rafters with some old colouring of red and gold surviving; the bosses and wall-plates have been renewed. The aisle roof is similar but uncoloured and preserves its old wall-plate on the north side, which has crude carved angels holding shields. The chancel roof has been completely renewed and the seating is also 19th century. A large royal coat of arms of Charles II is preserved on the north wall, formerly located in the tower. A 20th-century granite font is present.