Church Of St Mary Magdalen

Church of St Mary Magdalen

Anglican parish church of the 13th century and later periods. Built of ham stone rubble with ashlar dressings, the chancel features partly cut and squared work. The roof is Welsh slate between stepped coped gables running continuously across the building, with a small bellcote at the west end.

The church follows a two-cell plan comprising a three-bay nave and three small-bay chancel, with a north-east vestry and south porch added at later dates. The chancel is plain in character, though the south wall appears to have been rebuilt. The east window is a three-light flamboyant traceried window with moulded label. The north wall contains a small two-light early 14th-century flat-headed window without label, while the south wall has a larger three-light window of very early Perpendicular design with a moulded label featuring deep drops rather than stops. A simple chamfered pointed-arch doorway stands east of this window.

The nave is buttressed at the west end with angled corner buttresses. The north side features a 17th or 18th-century single-light window with hoodmould, followed by a two-light window of 14th or early 15th-century date with traceried work set in a hollowed recess. The gallery doorway at the west end has been restored and is approached by a simple stone staircase with wrought-iron handrail. The west window is a three-light 15th-century traceried window in a hollowed recess with headstop label, below which sits a pointed-arched west doorway without label. The south wall contains another two-light 15th-century window east of the porch.

The bell turret is rectangular on plan, with a pitched stone canopy. It contains three semi-circular arched through-arches running east to west for the bells, which are hung on wheels.

The south porch is possibly of 15th-century date and features a plinth stone slab roof with plain gable ending in a block sundial and ball finial inscribed with the motto "Redeeme the time". A moulded four-centred outer archway encloses a 15th-century pointed-arched doorway. The interior ceiling is based on straight stone "rafters".

The north-east vestry is probably an 18th-century addition. It is very simple, with a pointed-arched doorway in the north gable and a two-light leaded casement window in the west wall.

Interior

The interior contains little work later than the 18th century. The chancel has an arched-braced collar-trussed roof with elaborate scarfed joints, probably of 17th-century date, beneath a plaster panelled ceiling. The east window has a rere-arch. A 19th-century doorway opens into the vestry, and a small organ is installed.

The chancel arch, dating from the 15th century, extends to full width with shafts featuring hollows to the jambs.

The nave is distinguished by a 17th-century timber ribbed vaulted ceiling with carved diamond-shaped bosses. At the rear stands an 18th-century gallery with a dentilled beam cornice moulding, four rectangular fielded panels, and a semi-circular arched centre panel containing a vernacular painting of a kingly figure composing music to three Halleluiahs.

The fittings include a 13th-century ogee-arched piscina, an early 17th-century Communion rail, and a 17th-century altar table. The reredos panelling is of 18th-century style. The choirstalls and pews date from 1908 but are executed in 17th-century style using overlap unseasoned boards. However, one 18th-century box pew with fielded panels survives. A 17th-century panelled timber pulpit features a door and moulded tester above, with a reading desk in front. The font is of 12th or 13th-century date, comprising a fluted circular bowl on a turned base. A fine undated hatchment board hangs above the south doorway.

Above the chancel arch are two corbel heads, possibly positioned to carry the lantern veil. In the chancel stands a monument to Reverend James Upton, who died in 1844, executed in black and white marble with colouring.