Church Of St Mary

A parish church of late 13th and early 14th century origin, comprising a nave and north transept. The building was substantially extended in the early to mid 16th century with the addition of a tower, south aisle and porch. A late 19th century chancel and north vestry were added, along with some 19th century restoration work.

The church is constructed in mixed slatestone and granite in the nave, transept and aisle, with a squared granite rubble porch and granite ashlar tower. The chancel is of snecked rock-faced rubble with granite dressings. Slate roofs with 19th century crestings complete the exterior.

The architectural style is late Perpendicular. The 3-stage tower dominates the composition, featuring a west door with a pointed arch, roll and hollow mouldings with trefoils in the spandrels and a hood-mould with a 20th century door. Above this sits a 3-light window with 2-centred arched lights, upper tracery and a 4-centred arched head, its hood-mould continuing as a string course. The third stage on all sides has similar 2-light bell openings fitted with slate louvres and hood-moulds. The south side of the tower displays an image niche with the initial M in raised lettering at the first stage, and an armorial shield at the third stage. Set-back weathered buttresses rise to the top string course, which is hollow-moulded. Other string courses are weathered. The plinth and embattled parapet feature crocketed pinnacles on bases with panels of four quatrefoils.

A straight joint marks the tower's junction with the nave to the north, where the wall steps back and a small weathered buttress marks the junction with the chancel.

The 3-bay south aisle contains 3-light windows with hollow-chamfered, 2-centred arched heads and hood-moulds. The east and west windows mirror those on the tower, complete with hood-moulds.

The gabled south porch appears to have been rebuilt, with a chamfered granite plinth and pointed arched opening. Its interior features a late 19th century arched brace and collar roof with a 4-bay structure, collar purlin and principal rafters. A holy water stoup sits to the right, and the 4-centred arched chamfered granite doorway has step stops and a late 19th century door.

The north transept contains an early 14th century north window of 2 lights with trefoil heads and Y tracery with trefoils above. A late 19th century east window of 3 lights with narrow trefoil heads has been added. A vestry is attached in the angle to the west, with a 2-light casement in a granite surround and a roof extended from the pitch of the nave roof.

The single-bay chancel has a pointed arched east window of 3 lights with trefoil heads and upper reticulated tracery.

The interior tower arch features 2 chamfered orders with paired piers to each side separated by concave moulding, shaft rings and triple rings to the capitals. A 19th century carved wooden screen stands beneath.

The nave has a roof of common rafters and scissors trusses. The 4-bay south arcade consists of 4-centred arches of 2 chamfered orders with Pevsner A-type piers. A cornice along the north wall probably represents the former wall plate before 19th century re-roofing. A wide 4-centred arch with 2 chamfered orders opens to the north transept, with a mask corbel to the west and a block corbel to the east. A 19th century tall pointed arch accesses the chancel, flanked by one plain pier on each side.

The south aisle roof matches that of the nave, with pointed segmental heads to the south windows and 4-centred arches to the east and west windows.

The transept features chamfered rere-arches to its window and a trefoil ogee-headed piscina on the east wall. A tomb recess to the north has plain piers to each side and a 4-centred arch in limestone with 2 chamfers and convex moulding. A 19th century west door to the vestry has a flat lintel. The roof matches that of the nave.

The chancel has arched braces rising from corbels. A 19th century piscina stands to the left, with a reset piscina to the right featuring a trefoil hollow for the drain, a triangular head and wave-moulded jambs.

The church contains several notable fittings. An octagonal granite font of the 14th century, located in the transept, displays shields to its sides and a stem with recessed panels on a moulded octagonal base. Two early 18th century hatchments with armorial bearings are displayed in the nave and south aisle. Medieval encaustic tiles with pierced geometric designs are set into the north transept floor. An 18th century ledger stone in the nave bears 2 shields and records Jane Hall (died 1799) and other family members. An unidentified slate ledger stone in the nave is dated 1721. A slate monument in the nave, featuring an incised oval inscription panel, commemorates the Reverend Samuel Forster (died 1775) and was cut by William Shillibeer. All windows except the chancel east window contain 19th century plain leaded lights; the chancel east window features early 20th century stained glass.