Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church that was rebuilt in the mid-14th century, retaining some features from the early 13th century, and underwent restoration in the 19th century. It is constructed of rubble stone with tiled roofs. The west tower has a plain early 13th-century lower stage, featuring decorated openings to the bell chamber and a saddleback roof above. The south wall of the nave includes a narrow clerestory with 19th-century two-light windows. The south aisle has a parapet and two decorated windows, including a three-light window with reticulated tracery at the east end, a two-light window to the left of the porch, and a Perpendicular window with three uncusped lights to the right. The early 13th-century south doorway has a moulded arch supported by a double order of shafts with waterleaf caps. The porch dates from 1639. The chancel features decorated windows, including a two-light window to the south and a reticulated three-light window to the east. The north aisle widens into a chapel with a vestry in the angle and has two-light decorated windows.

Inside, there is a steeply pointed arch leading to the tower. The nave has arcades of three bays with 14th-century double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers with moulded caps, ending on carved head corbels. The south arcade features a clerestory in the spandrels, while the north arcade has hatchments. The south aisle includes a chapel with a squint to the chancel, a double traceried piscina, and a sedile. The north aisle houses an organ. There is a double-chamfered arch on corbels leading to the wide chancel. The entire interior has been stripped of plaster and restored in the 19th century.

Fittings in the chancel include early 18th-century communion rails with turned balusters, reredos panels of similar date featuring 'Our Father' and 'Credo' in a surround of Doric pilasters and entablature, and a 17th-century chair. The pulpit has 17th-century arcaded panels restored on an early 19th-century base. There are box pews and a modern font. Notable monuments include brasses for William Risley and his wife from 1516 in the nave, and for Thomas Clarell and family from 1471, as well as a brass of a bleeding heart for John Merstun from 1446 in the chancel. The north aisle features three fine wall monuments to the Cresswell family, two of which are dated 1768 and 1784, adorned with obelisks and urns in coloured marbles. The chancel also has late 17th to early 18th-century cartouches and a wall monument to Colonel J.B. Delap from 1853 by E. Davis, featuring a figured relief in white marble.