Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a late 19th-century church built in 1868 to replace an earlier church, which tradition states originated in the 11th century. The rebuilding was designed by Mr. Edward Haycock of Shrewsbury, and cost £1,900. Elements of the previous structure were incorporated, including the medieval roof construction, an early 13th-century south doorway, and other fittings. A west tower was added in 1885, designed by A.E. Lloyd Oswell, architect, of Shrewsbury, replacing a wooden tower that had been retained until 1884.

The church occupies a central position within the town, surrounded by burgage plots lining the main streets and a medieval churchyard. A holy well dedicated to St. Mary lies to the north of the church, while a War Memorial is set into the south wall of the churchyard, along High Street. Within the churchyard, to the southwest of the south porch, stands a bronze sundial made in 1775 by the noted local clockmaker Samuel Roberts, set on a 20th-century plinth of Portland Stone.

The church is built in the geometrical style, comprising a nave and chancel under a single roof, a west tower, a north aisle, and a south porch. The exterior is constructed from snecked stonework with rock-faced finish, using red sandstone dressings and a slate roof. The three-stage west tower is defined by string courses and an embattled parapet. Diagonal buttresses are present on the west side, and angle buttresses on the east. An octagonal stair turret is situated in the southwest corner. Windows are generally two-cusped lancets, often beneath a single quatrefoil, or plain cusped lancets. A clock by Benson, London, is located on the middle stage of the tower's south side. The south doorway is Transitional, featuring two orders of triple shafts with bowl-shaped capitals carved with foliage, square abaci supporting four heavy roll mouldings which form a shallow pointed arch. Some mouldings and columns are filleted. The nave and chancel are buttressed with offsets and saddleback copings, with generally cusped lancet windows, frequently under quatrefoils.

The interior features an eight-bay nave and chancel, with a 15th-century roof. The roof timbers are believed to be from the earlier church, consisting of arch-braced trusses with two raked, cusped struts, two purlins, and cusped wind braces. Some of the beams reportedly have carvings. The floor is laid with Victorian tiles, some of which are attributed to Maws. A five-bay north arcade is formed by plain circular piers and moulded capitals supporting pointed arches. The east window contains stained glass by H. Hughes, London, while stained glass in the north aisle incorporates engraved 20th-century dates. The font is probably 13th century, featuring a plain octagonal bowl on a bulbous bathstone stem with a modern base. Within the chancel, a recumbent effigy, dating back to circa 1400, is believed to portray Dafydd of Cruffydd Fychan.

The church is listed for its unusual Transitional south doorway, and other medieval features, including the roof, font, and effigy. It is also valued for its contribution to the townscape, its historical importance, and its group value.