Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a church with significant development across several centuries, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The nave was rebuilt in 1737, while the chancel and north transept were remodelled in 1902. The church is constructed from squared coursed limestone and ironstone banding, with ashlar detailing, and has plain-tile and leaded roofs.

The church comprises an aisled nave, chancel, north transept, south aisle, and a central tower. The south elevation of the chancel features three two-light windows with tracery, set within 18th-century round-headed openings. It has a steep gabled roof with ashlar parapets and a finial, and a three-light east window with a pointed head bearing the date 1902. The north side of the nave is blank, with a 20th-century lean-to vestry attached. The south aisle is of ashlar, with three three-light round-headed windows containing intersecting tracery, and has ashlar parapets and a shallow gabled roof.

The south porch, also dating to 1737, is attached to the east end of the south aisle and features a square-headed door opening with an oculus above, flanked by single-light windows. The north aisle is similar in design to the south. The north transept, attached to the east end of the north aisle, mirrors the chancel’s design with three-light north and east windows.

The west elevation is of ashlar, with a central square-headed door framed by a plain arch. A large oculus sits above this, with the central bay projecting slightly and topped with a pediment. The elaborate central tower has pairs of tall two-light bell-chamber openings. An octagonal staircase turret is located on the south-east corner, and there’s a corbel tablet with octagonal pinnacles at each corner. The broach spire has three tiers of lucarnes.

Inside, the nave features three bays with large Tuscan columns separating the nave from the aisles. Triple-chamfered Decorated style arches were reinstated around 1902 at the crossing. A chamfered and hollowed arch to the north transept has polygonal responds. The nave and aisle ceilings are flat, with a plain coved cornice and a circular plaster centrepiece. There are some 18th-century timbers to the porch roof. The chancel ceiling is barrel-vaulted, dating to around 1902. A 18th-century west gallery displays turned balusters and a reeded Roman Doric screen. The pulpit, also from the 18th century, features marquetry panels, a stem front, and a gadrooned bowl. Open-panelled pews are also from the 18th century. Included are a 14th-century double tomb recess in the north transept, an 18th-century oval wall tablet to the Shipton family, various 19th-century marble tablets to the Dickens family, 19th-century stained glass in the north transept east window, and 20th-century glass in the east window. The church also retains 18th-century panelled doors to the porch and west entrances.