Church Of Saint Martin Of Tours

The Church of Saint Martin of Tours is a church with origins dating back to the 13th or 14th century, largely rebuilt in 1863-64. It is constructed from ham stone with ashlar dressings, featuring plain clay tiles to the roof with bands of fish scale tiles, and lead flat roofing on the tower. The building comprises a six-unit plan, including a three-bay chancel, a north chapel, a south vestry/organ chamber, a four-bay nave, and north and south aisles, with a short west tower.

The chancel is visible as a slight projection and features angled corner buttresses with a 19th-century interpretation of a four-light, 14th-century traceried window. The south chapel is a 19th-century rebuild with corner buttresses, and incorporates a simple pointed arch doorway. A small sundial is located high up on the rear southeast corner. The south aisle has three-light windows with pointed arches and 15th-century style tracery, and a completely 19th-century porch. The north aisle chapel appears to be largely original, dating from the 16th century, and features tall, flat-headed windows with labels of two cusped ogee heads. The north aisle itself is a 19th-century addition, with offset buttresses and 14th-century style traceried windows, alongside an arched doorway opposite the south porch.

The west tower, dated 1765, is two-stage with offset angle buttresses to the lower stage and a low, battlemented parapet with corner pinnacles. A plain pointed arched door is at the western side, above which is a window with 15th-century style tracery. On the south side is a two-light ‘Y’ traceried jointed window. A semi-circular stair turret, tapered and rendered with slit windows and a conical stone slated roof, is situated to the north. On the upper stage are two-light ‘Y’ traceried windows with wooden baffles and clock faces.

Inside, the church mainly displays 13th-century character. The chancel features a 19th-century scissor braced roof, transitional style arcades, a 15th-century style chancel arch, and 19th-century fittings. The north chapel has a timber ribbed barrel vault ceiling, possibly of the 17th century, a 15th-century style west arch, and a cusped ogee head piscina. The nave incorporates transitional arcades, floriated bench ends (one dated 1633), a wooden pulpit dated 1626, and a tower arch of 13th-century style. A plaster barrel vault covers the south aisle, which houses a crudely moulded tub font, possibly dating from around 1250, and a 17th-century three-panelled chest. The north aisle chapel contains a fine monument to the daughters of Sir John Portman, Bart, featuring two kneeling figures within a segmental arched recess flanked by Corinthian columns. A crude early painting of the church within the north aisle suggests that the aisle underwent significant external alterations. Church records indicate the first recorded rector was in 1313.