Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church, now redundant, with a complex history spanning the mid-13th century to the 19th century. The earliest parts are the chancel and north chapel, dating from the mid-13th century, followed by late-13th century aisles. The church was altered in the 15th century when the west tower and north vestry were added. The south porch is a 14th-century structure rebuilt in the 19th century, and the entire building has undergone significant restoration in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The church is constructed primarily from dressed limestone and flint, with roughcast upper walls to the north aisle and brick repairs to the chancel. It is roofed with lead. The west tower, of two stages, features a battlemented parapet, diagonal buttresses, and two-light traceried openings to the bell chamber, except for a pair of lancets on the south side. A Tudor-hoodmoulded arched door with a window above is present on the west side, and a small, semi-octagonal stair turret is situated at the north-east corner. The south wall of the nave (formerly an aisle) has a plain parapet and two 3-light windows with 4-centred heads. A slight projection at the east end indicates former rood-loft stairs, and a 2-centred arched door allows access. The 19th-century south porch features a plain parapet, double-chamfered arch, and a 15th-century roof with moulded cross beams. The north aisle has off-set buttresses, two lancet windows, and a door in a moulded arch with a hoodmould. The north chapel includes Perpendicular windows and a cusped lancet to the vestry at its east end. The Decorated chancel is characterized by a battlemented brick parapet with stone coping, a 3-light traceried east window, and three 2-light traceried windows on the south side.

Inside, a double hollow-chamfered arch defines the tower entrance, the inner order resting on moulded corbels. The nave is wide and incorporates the former south aisle. The south wall has a stoup near the door and 4-centred arched openings leading to the rood-loft stairs. The east wall features a blind arched panel and a squint to the chancel. A three-bay north arcade has double hollow-chamfered arches on octagonal piers with moulded caps; the north-east pier has an altered niche. Both nave and aisle have restored 15th-century roofs with moulded cross beams. A double chamfered arch connects the aisle to the north chapel, and a similar arch, supported by semi-octagonal piers with simply moulded caps, leads to the chancel. Further arches, characterised by stiff-leaf capitals, separate the chancel from the chapel. The chancel also includes a moulded arched doorway to the north vestry, semi-octagonal stone shafts flanking the altar, and 14th-15th century floor tiles. The north chapel houses a cusped piscina with a carved crocketted gable, a locker recess in the north wall, and a 19th-century grate in the northeast corner. Notable fittings include a fine 12th-century font with a fluted bowl and cable ornament, an early 17th-century hexagonal pulpit with enriched panels, 17th-century pews (including two box pews with panelled sides), a 17th-century altar table, a large triangular reading desk dated 1685, fine 18th-century communion rails with delicate twisted balusters, painted panels of the creed and commandments above the chancel arch, and 19th-century glass in the east window. A small 14th-century brass depicting a lady is also present.