Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a 14th-century church, partly rebuilt in the 19th century. It is constructed of limestone and ironstone, with an artificial stone slate and lead roof. The church comprises a chancel, a north vestry with a re-used Perpendicular 2-light window, north and south aisles, a south transept, a south porch, and a west tower. The chancel windows are Victorian. The east window of the south transept is Decorated style, with four lights, tracery including quatrefoils and trefoils, and a hood with ball flower decoration and head stops. The south doorway is also from the 14th century. A window to the left, also 14th century (with renewed tracery), has three lights and a hood with head stops. The west tower is from the 14th century, with three stages, a crenellated parapet, a corbel table, and gargoyles at the corners. A square turret is situated at the northwest corner. The bell openings are Decorated style, with three lights and flowing tracery. All north aisle windows are Victorian.

Inside, the chancel arch is 14th century, triple chamfered with half-octagonal responds. The three-bay north arcade, also 14th century, features an octagonal pier and moulded capitals carved with grotesque heads. The south arcade is Victorian. The south aisle includes a squint to the chancel and a plain square low-side window accompanied by a partially blocked 14th-century arch above. An arch, double chamfered with half-octagonal responds, leads from the south aisle to the transept.

Features within include a probable Romanesque tub front, recut in the 14th century with an arcade of blind ogee arches. Re-used 14th to 15th century tracery appears on bench ends, one carved with an “Annunciation.” A stone effigy of a knight (Sir John de Lyons?) from around 1350 is situated on a clunch tomb-chest, elaborately carved with crocketed ogee panels containing shields and figures of mourners. A 14th-century relief of “Virgin and Child” is present at the foot of the effigy, but is not original to its location. Two 14th-century stone effigies of a knight and lady are set within recesses in the north aisle. A wall monument to William Holman, who died in 1740 and signed by R. Mottley, is found in the south transept; it is constructed of grey and white marble with an elaborate architectural frame and includes marble floor slabs related to the Holman family of Warkworth Castle, featuring fine lettering and carved crests in shallow relief.