Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is an Anglican parish church with substantial fabric dating from the 13th century, further development in the 15th century, and a 19th-century restoration. The church is constructed of rubble and ashlar with lead-sheeting, tile, and asbestos tile roofs, incorporating coped verges and finials. The building comprises a nave, chancel, crossing tower, a south aisle, a north porch, and north and south transepts, exhibiting both Decorated and Perpendicular styles.

The three-bay nave features 3-light traceried Perpendicular windows. A moulded west doorway has a 4-centred arch head, a ribbed and studded door, and a parapet with coping and gargoyles. A rood-stair turret is located to the south alongside a lancet window. The ornamented, gabled south porch has an external stoup, a richly moulded outer door opening, a crocketed ogee canopy with a central figure, and is benched internally over a flagstone floor. It includes a moulded inner door opening and an early studded plank door with simple strap hinges. The three-stage embattled octagonal tower has gargoyles, 2-light bell-chamber windows, louvres, lancet windows at the ringing-chamber stage, and a small stair turret. The two-bayed south aisle was rebuilt in 1860, with 2-light windows. The 13th-century transepts are short with good 3-light traceried windows to both the north and south sides. The two-bayed chancel contains square-headed 2-light windows to the north and south, and a 3-light pointed arch traceried east window.

The interior is plastered and set over flagstone floors. The nave has a 19th-century tie-beam roof supported by corbels that may be medieval; the south aisle has a lean-to 19th-century roof, the transepts have 19th-century wagon roofs, and the chancel has a 17th-century unceiled wagon roof. Squat, double-chamfered arches, devoid of capitals or imposts, are visible under the tower. A two-bay arcade leads to the south aisle, with piers of 4-hollows section. The south transept holds a fine 13th-century canopied piscina, while the north transept houses a simpler piscina. There are two hagioscopes present. A further piscina is found in the chancel, and a pair of foiled niches flank the altar. Shafted rere-arches are visible behind the nave and transept windows. The octagonal, Perpendicular-style font is likely a 19th-century copy. The church contains four 18th-century and four 19th-century wall monuments. A brass plaque located under the tower details a vault of 1815, and a 17th-century tablet lies on the floor. A 19th-century panelled pulpit may incorporate earlier fragments, and a pair of Jacobean coffin stools are also present. Four stained glass windows in the chancel are by Kempe, dating to around 1897.