Church of Saint Mary

Church of Saint Mary is a substantial parish church built of rubble stone with low-pitched roofs concealed behind embattled parapets. The building comprises a clerestoried nave and chancel with embattled parapets (flat at the west end), a gabled south porch, a lean-to embattled north aisle with gabled north porch, and a northwest tower.

Tower

The tower is plain with a corbelled flat parapet and recessed pyramid slate roof. It has 19th-century small cusped pointed lights below the corbels. On the north, west, and south sides these are asymmetrically paired with a 19th-century clock face, while the east side has a pair of lights. The west side has a slit opening and a late 19th-century three-light ground floor window. The north side has two large 19th-century louvred lancets and two far-projecting buttresses from 1863–4 with grey stone quoins. The east side has a small lancet between the upper two lights and a later window lower down.

Nave Exterior

The west end of the nave has a plain flat parapet and stepped triple lancet window with hoodmoulds, 13th-century but restored in 1920, with a high relieving arch above. The nave consists of six bays with a circa 1500 clerestorey, coved stringcourse and gargoyles under the battlements. The south side has six three-light segmental pointed windows renewed between 1921 and 1933, with panel tracery and stone voussoirs (the two leftmost windows had wooden tracery before renewal). At ground floor level there is a larger late 15th-century three-light window to the left of the porch (shown as blocked on an 1843 plan) with stone voussoirs and hoodmould, and three much-restored 13th-century two-light pointed windows to the right, with foiled circles in the pointed heads, hoodmoulds, stone voussoirs and relieving arches.

The south porch was renewed in the 1880s and has moulded ashlar gable coping and a pointed doorway with hoodmould. A gable plaque dates from 1771 and a sundial from 1656. The double oak doors are mid-20th century. The porch is said to be stone-vaulted.

Chancel Exterior

The chancel has four similar circa 1500 clerestorey windows, renewed, with ogee tracery and hoodmoulds, and a stringcourse with gargoyles under battlements. At ground floor level there are four 13th-century two-light windows, grouped three to the left and one to the right. These have unusual tracery (similar to the refectory windows at Tintern Abbey) of two cusped lights under a foiled roundel, with stone voussoirs. A dripmould follows the curves. (The 1843 plan shows only the two middle windows, and an 1844 account refers to a reopened chancel window.) The southeast corner has renewed sandstone quoins to the lower half and grey limestone to the 15th-century upper part. The east gable shows the original grey limestone 13th-century gable with a large ashlar pointed window, 13th-century but renewed in 1844 and later, pointed with three lancets, three foiled circles and hoodmould. There is a shallow-gabled embattled parapet. Two clerestorey windows on the north side match those on the south; the other two are blocked.

North Aisle Exterior

The north aisle is lean-to with battlements. The east end has a circa 1500 four-light pointed window with panel tracery and hoodmould, and a small northeast corner niche. The north side has seven four-light windows, restored in the 1880s, divided by stepped buttresses with finials. A stringcourse runs below the battlements, broken by buttresses and discontinued west of the porch. The windows are pointed, except the fourth which is segmental-pointed and the seventh which is three-centred. To the right is the 1863 north porch with moulded coping and cross finial, moulded pointed arch with column shafts and hood. It has a boarded collar-rafter roof, ashlar side arcades framing windows, and black and white floor tiles. The 13th-century north door has deep rolls, some with fillets, and capitals carved with fleurs-de-lys and a small beast. The hoodmould rests on carved head stops. The doors are 19th-century double doors.

The nave north clerestorey matches the south side with carved masks on the stringcourse and three-light windows renewed in the 1880s.

Nave Interior

A 20th-century inner porch stands in the north aisle. Black and white floor tiles run across the nave and across the aisle from the north porch. A four-bay arcade separates the nave from the aisle, with the enclosed tower base at the northwest. In the nave, floor levels rearranged in the 19th century have resulted in a flight of seven steps at the west end. The walls are plastered with exposed stone dressings to the windows.

The nave has a fine circa 1500 panelled timber roof of six bays, with moulded cambered beams, moulded low-pitched rafters and moulded ridge, the beams supported on long quadrant brackets with carved spandrels on carved stone corbels. Each panel is divided into four with moulded ribs, and applied leaves and carved bosses at the intersections. Carved wooden angels are positioned mid-way on the wall plates over stone carved heads, above each clerestorey window. Three stone corbels carry timbers at each end. There are six windows each side, two on the north blank. A heavy moulded stone course runs on the north under the clerestorey; a moulded course over the door only on the south.

The ashlar four-bay arcade has pointed arches, deeply moulded with hoods on carved heads. The piers have multiple mouldings of three clustered shafts to each cardinal point and single diagonal shafts; the responds match, but the centre pier is slightly different. The capitals have exceptionally finely carved detail with stiff leaf and tiny carved figures. The main shaft of each triple cluster and the diagonal shafts have fillets. The central pier has rings to six shafts, disposed in a hexagon. Carving includes: at the west a mask with tongue out, a leering beast, and intertwined beasts with a single head; on the second pier, a pig and fiddle, an ape and harp, a man with toothache, and a winged beast with foliage ending to its tail. The third has a lamb biting a snake's head, repeated. The responds have masks.

A similar wide chancel arch with hoodmould has piers shafted with fillets as on the arcade, and capitals with stiff-leaf and masks facing inward.

The nave south wall has ashlar keeled moulding to three windows east of the door, over a moulded sill course. An early 20th-century south doorway in stone reveal has a door by Caroe with traceried side panels and overlight. Full-height reveals frame the 15th-century window right of the porch, with a stringcourse below the window and a small recess in the west jamb. The west end has attached shafts to the three lancets of the large west window. To the left on the south wall is a doorway into a rounded alcove cupboard; to the right on the north wall is a segmental-pointed door to the tower stair. A stringcourse on the north wall runs above the large pointed opening to the tower with column shafts to a chamfered inner arch and outer moulding on twin shafts. An oak tower screen glazed above, from 1925 by Caroe, commemorates Dr F.R. Greenish, organist. Within the tower base is a complex groined vault with centre bell hole, diagonal and transverse ribs with tiercerons and liernes, and bosses at intersections. A late Gothic tower west window lights this space.

North Aisle Interior

The north aisle has a tall west lancet into the tower base. The north wall has a doorway and circa 1500 windows in full-length plastered reveals, the first window with a Gothic niche in its reveal. The south wall has a carved head corbel under a plaque recording 1745 repairs.

A lean-to circa 1500 roof of eight and a half bays, low-pitched, has six panels to each bay, heavily moulded beams and carved bosses and angel supporters. Wall posts with long arched braces rise from fine carved stone corbels. A longer wallpost stands between the north aisle and chancel aisle, where the roof differs with coving above the chancel arcade.

Chancel Interior

The chancel has four clerestorey windows on the south, two on the north. The low-pitch roof has nine heavy tie-beams carrying a king-post with chamfered ridge and purlins. Fretted infill appears above the tie-beams. Five arched braces each side with carved spandrels rise from original carved stone corbels. The roof was largely restored in 1887–9 (it is said to have been redone in the 1730s). A wall recess on the north has two levels of corbelling over a two-bay arcade to the north aisle.

This arcade is very rich, differing from the nave in having plain detached shafts to the centre pier, divided by shafts with fillets, with multiple mouldings to the pointed arches and carved head stops to hoodmoulds, both on south and north sides. The carved capitals have stiff-leaf, the centre pier with a face-mask at each corner. A separate broad east arch, triple-shafted and blocked by the organ, dates from the extension of the north aisle circa 1500, with cruder carving of leaf and flower type.

The east window has arches with deep multiple rolls, shaft-rings to angle shafts and fillets to outer shafts. The three lancets have ringed Purbeck marble shafts. To the right of the arcade are remains of a blocked window, showing that the north aisle was extended circa 1500.

Three close-set south windows have fillets to moulded surrounds with hoods and carved stops. A pointed cusped 13th-century piscina is present. The encaustic tiled floor dates from 1887–9.

Fittings

The octagonal 19th-century font stands on a base of four marble-shafted columns around a centre shaft. An oak font cover dates from 1925. A free-standing stoup, circa 1500, has a square bowl on a square shafted base with pierced cusped lancets, ribs and pendants.

The pulpit by Caroe from 1905 is oak, large and octagonal with framed blind traceried panels and crocketted angle shafts. A brass eagle lectern from 1889 is by Hardman of Birmingham. Stalls from 1889 by Christian have blind tracery to fronts and two reading desks. The reredos by Caroe is oak with a broad centre and narrower side panels. Oak altar rails are by Caroe. Pews by Caroe have finely carved bench ends in 17th-century style, 1905, with open front kneelers. The Mayors pew has a circa 1500 poppyhead bench end and two stalls. A 15th-century carved timber panel depicts a figure and lion in a rose trail.

The organ case facing down the north aisle is earlier 18th-century with three pipe towers on cherub heads. The organ case to the chancel is from 1887 with painted pipes. The organ of 1737 by Harris & Byfield was enlarged 1861–2 by Banfield and rebuilt in its present site 1887–9 by William Hill, retaining the previous case but with a new pipe-front to the chancel. It was renovated in 1983–4 by Daniel of Clevedon.

Stained Glass

The east window by C.E. Kempe from 1893 commemorates Reverend J.H.A. Philipps and depicts the Ascension, Crucifixion and Nativity over three scenes; it is a major work by Kempe. Much work is by Kempe & Co: the west window from 1920, a war memorial showing three archangels over Saints Oswald, George and Edmund; nave south first window, three-light to M.J. Povis (died 1917), Saint David and two saints; second window two-light to Colonel W Douglas-Willan of Twyford Abbey, Crucifixion, 1913; fourth to Marion Rabboni, 1910, Christ and Saint Mary Magdalene; north porch four small windows showing Evangelists, circa 1920; chancel south first window 1929, Saints Teilo and Justinian.

Windows by others include: nave south third window to Dr G. Phillips, 1864, Healing the Sick, by W. Wailes of Newcastle. Chancel south second, Annunciation, by Powell, 1955, to Mary Thomas; third window, 1843, one of the first revived Gothic windows in the county, Saints Luke and Peter in deep colours, to Reverend J. Thomas; fourth window with attractive patterned glass 1861, to Lord Milford (died 1831). North aisle west lancet to tower, Saint David, 1965 by Celtic Studios, to Alderman S. Morgan (died 1947).

Memorials

In the nave, a medieval effigy in the south wall right window reveal depicts a 14th-century pilgrim. West end plaques commemorate Dr Joseph Maurice of Springfield (died 1824), Bath stone and slate with urn; Alderman William Meyler (died 1662), slate with skull; Elizabeth, Balthaze and Hugh Knethell (died 1609–24), inset Bath stone plaque; Thomas Smith, attorney, and children (died 1690–1733), incised slate; Thamason Howell (died 1617), Bath stone tiny plaque with edge inscription; Alderman William Browne (died 1678) and family to 1699, fine scroll-pedimented Ionic columned plaque with cherub head and skull. South wall, right, plaque to O.E. Davies JP (died 1885) and family to 1906. Left of door: Ann Powell, neo-Grec, 1846; scrolled plaque to Dr G. Phillips (died 1863), by T. Sharp of London; brass to Captain A. Howard (killed 1915); Reverend J. Llewellin (died 1912), plaque matching that to Ann Powell. Nave east, marble urned plaque to G. Parry of Scoveston (died 1821), by T. Porter of London.

Chancel west end: oval plaque to Richard Wright (died 1800); slate corniced plaque to Jane Skyrne (died 1710); another slate plaque to Jane Skyrne (died 1718), Thomas Skyrne (died 1731) and others with acanthus leaves in cornice and consoles; Gothic marble plaque to John Higgon of Scolton (died 1817) and his wife (died 1836). South wall brass to Dr G. Wynne Harris (died 1875); brass in ashlar frame with kneeling figure to John and Sage David's (died 1651 and 1654); stone memorial in 17th-century style to T.C. White (died 1925), designed by Caroe; scroll-topped plaque to Alderman William Bowen (died 1670) and family to 1701. Sir John Philipps of Picton Castle (died 1764), tall marble plaque with broken pediment; William Ayleway (died 1832), plain plaque by J. Thomas of Haverfordwest; Jane Edwards (died 1828), simple with urn; large slate plaque to William Bowen (died 1670) and family to 1731; John Counsell (died 1678), Jacobean style frame and scroll pediment; Alderman Thomas Tucker (died 1820), black with moulded sides, by Rowlands of Haverfordwest; Jacobean style ashlar arched recess with carved soffit framing plaque with skull, bones and hourglass over slab to Alderman William Walter (died 1614), the plaque set on its side; very large marble sarcophagus memorial to Sir Henry Mathias (died 1832) by Reeves & Son of Bath; Elizabeth Phillips of Picton (died 1733), marble with ball finials and obelisk top, by Thomas Burnell of London.

North wall: Sir John Philipps of Picton (died 1736), a major work by Christopher Horsnaile of London with broken curved pediment over portrait bust and four standing cherubs; Mary Mathias (died 1723), pedestal with scrolled sides, cornice and arms. East wall oval plaque to Henry Jones (died 1771); Gothic brass plaques to Lord and Lady Milford (died 1857 and 1852); oval plaque to Francis Edwardes (died 1809).

North aisle memorial to Lord Milford (died 1823), large marble. Plaque on south wall recording repairs to roof in 1745 for £49/10/9d; William Cantor (died 1840), neo-Grec plaque by J. Thomas of Haverfordwest; slab to Reverend C. Ayleway (died 1805); William Eves (died 1828) and wife (died 1840); James Scowrefield (died 1614) and Margaret (died 1627), simple plaque with shield; plaque to an unknown rector of Rudbaxton 1700.