Church of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A small church of Grade II* status, consisting of a nave and chancel formed in one, with a north vestry and south porch. Built of generally uncoursed local masonry with a slate roof that is slightly sprocketed, with a tile ridge. A buttress on the south side marks the division between nave and chancel. The east and west gables are coped, with a Celtic cross surmounting the east gable. Rafters are exposed at the eaves.

The windows, probably including the east window, date from the 19th century restoration by John Douglas. The east window is in Perpendicular style with three main lights and a prominent label mould. Pairs of trefoil-headed lights with round-headed relieving arches appear on the north and south sides, plus a pair of lights with ogee heads at the position of the former gallery access door on the north. A plain round-headed south window west of the porch was also added by Douglas.

The porch has stone side walls with slate seats. A bold outer truss features timber jambs framed into it, with inscribed verse on the tie beam. The inner doorway is in cyclopean masonry with single stone jambs each side and a single stone lintel carved as a four-centred arch with a simple chamfer. An oak door has wrought iron strap hinges, handle and escutcheon. At the left is a bracket for a water stoup.

The chancel and nave share a single seven-bay timber roof with relief carvings to the undersides of the trusses. The nave is slightly wider than the chancel, though this difference is not marked externally. Arch-braced tie beam trusses carry ashlars to the common rafters. All trusses have 19th century tie rods. In the chancel, the last two bays of ashlars are concealed by boarding, with decorative carving to the ashlars each side in the bay nearest the east. Both nave and chancel have bare masonry internally, somewhat battered. The nave is paved with small red quarry tiles. 19th century bench pews have newel-like posts towards the passage. A Georgian pulpit dated 1741 sits on the right, panelled with a stone base.

A two-step rise leads to the chancel. The division is marked by a pair of internal buttresses and a Gothic oak screen reproduced in the 19th century restoration, positioned 2½ bays from the east. A semicircular arch on the north opens to the 19th century vestry. Oak choirstalls and a prayer desk are present. A single sanctuary step carries gateless communion rails; both this and the altar step have tiled risers with text. An aumbry recess is set in the left wall. The altar has a reredos with five carved medieval panels: the Crucifixion at the centre, inscribed Ecce Homo, with St Mary and St John, and outer panels showing the emblems of the Passion. Cloth hangings hang to left and right.

A brass plaque to Robert Roberts of Bottegir (1843) and others is in the chancel, alongside another to John Maesmor of Maesmor (1704) with two verses. Drawings of the church before and after Douglas's restoration hang on the nave north wall. A 19th century stone font stands at the west of the nave. The east window depicts the Resurrection. Other stained glass is by Swaine Bourne of Birmingham, including a window on the south of the chancel to the Reverend William Hughes, rector 1851–77, showing the Good Shepherd and Christ at the Door.