Church of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This church dates from the 13th to 15th centuries, with significant restoration and rebuilding of the north aisle undertaken by E.F. Law in 1872. The building is constructed of regular coursed and squared coursed lias limestone and cobble, with a lead-slate and stone-slate roof.

The structure comprises an aisled nave and chancel with a west tower. The chancel has a single-window south elevation featuring a 3-light window under a 4-centred arch, while the north elevation is blank. A 3-light east window displays 19th-century Reticulated tracery. The roof is gabled with ashlar parapets and a finial.

A south chantry chapel of late 14th-century date contains a 2-window range of 3-light windows with 4-centred arches and a matching 3-light east window. It has a shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets, corner gargoyles, and a bellcote at the west apex.

The south aisle extends across 4 windows of 2-light openings; the leftmost is 14th century while the others are 19th century. It has a lean-to roof with ashlar parapets. A 19th-century south porch features an outer arch decorated with fleurons, clasping buttresses, and an ashlar gable parapet with finial.

The 19th-century north chapel contains a 3-window range of 2-light windows with intermediate buttresses and a matching 3-light east window. The north aisle has a 3-window range of 2-light square-headed windows, probably 14th century but reset in the 19th century, with a north door to the right. It has a lean-to roof with ashlar copings.

The nave clerestory has a south elevation of 4 windows of 2-light openings under 4-centred arches, and a north elevation of 5 windows of 2-light openings with square heads. The roof is shallow pitched with ashlar gable parapets.

The west tower is Perpendicular in style, comprising 4 stages with shallow clasping buttresses. The west door has 3 windows above it. The fourth stage contains tall 4-light bell-chamber openings with transoms on each face. A castellated ashlar parapet with corner gargoyles crowns the tower.

Interior

The chancel arch is Perpendicular. The south chapel arcade consists of 2 bays with 13th-century double-chamfered arches, while the north chapel arcade has one bay of similar construction. Both feature large carved corbelled responds.

The 5-bay nave arcade is divided between centuries: the south arcade is 13th century with double-chamfered arches and varied piers, each with crocketted capitals (circular, octagonal, cluster, and circular from left to right). The north arcade is 19th century with different piers, each bearing foliated capitals.

A piscina with an ogee head stands to the right of the altar, with adjacent sedilia. A further piscina is located in the south aisle. The roof structures are 19th century.

Monuments and Fittings

A monument to Francis Saunders (circa 1585) stands in the south chapel, comprising a marble tablet with an incised brass tablet and veined marble surround. It features shallow arched recesses, coats of arms, and a large armorial device flanked by recumbent female figures.

A 13th-century chest tomb in the north aisle is decorated with shields and quatrefoils, with a plain slab above, set in a shallow recess with a segmental arch; it was probably reset when the aisle was rebuilt in the 19th century.

A late 18th-century marble tablet to the Payne family hangs on the chancel north wall, with various 19th-century marble tablets throughout.

A fragment of bench end with poppy head, formed into a reading desk, is probably 16th century. A 17th-century Jacobean screen extends across the north and south aisle chapels and the west tower arch. The font is 14th century.

All windows in the chancel, aisles, and tower contain 19th-century stained glass.