Church of Saint Mary

This parish church is built of rubble stone with slate roofs and coped gables. It comprises a west tower, a nave with a 19th-century east bellcote, a 19th-century north aisle, a north transept, a lean-to south projection, and a large south porch. The chancel has a lean-to north projection with a substantial 19th-century north chimney, and a large parallel gable-ended south-east chapel.

The tower is relatively short, with plain pointed louvred bell-lights—single on each side except the north, where there are two lights—and a corbelled embattled parapet. The east face of the tower is corbelled out at mid-height over the nave roof. The north side has three loops, the west front has two loops and a small pointed west opening with stone voussoirs, plus an inserted 19th-century plain two-light window. The south side has two loops.

On the nave south side is a large rubble stone porch with a rounded pointed entry and rough stone voussoirs, possibly medieval, and a small loop in the gable. To the left of the porch is a single narrow recessed lancet dating from 1865–7, with an inner surround of ashlar and voussoirs of cut grey stone. A similar pair of lancets lies to the right. Then comes a lean-to projection with a 19th-century cusped Y-traceried pointed ashlar two-light window with hoodmould, possibly earlier than 1865. A plain Sanctus bellcote in grey limestone, dated 1870, sits on the nave east end, with a single pointed opening.

The nave north side has a lean-to north aisle from 1865–7 in squared stone, with a pair of lancets recessed in a pointed surround at the west end, and four recessed lancets on the north side arranged in two pairs. The gabled north transept has a 19th-century ashlar pointed two-light window similar to that on the south projection.

The lower chancel has a lean-to in the angle to the transept with a flat-headed 19th-century ashlar two-light window with cusped heads to the lights. Attached in the angle to the east is a tall square chimney from 1865–7, with grey stone quoins and a small pierced roundel on each side at the top beneath a pyramid cap. There is a single rectangular chancel north light, with a length of stone string course running west from the window to the chimney. The east end has a 19th-century ashlar three-light window with hoodmould, similar to those on the transeptal windows. The coped gable has a cross finial. The chancel north wall and east wall are battered at the base, but there is no evidence of a south return, suggesting that the south-east chapel was built first. However, the asymmetrical gable of the south-east chapel would suggest the joint to the chancel should be further into the chancel wall.

The south-east chapel has coped gables, straight walls, and odd narrow recessed lights, the recessed parts rendered. The three east lancets are double-recessed with extremely narrow glazing and thin stone voussoirs to the outer surround. The centre light is broader and taller. The south side is divided in two by three large rough buttresses with splayed plinths and hipped-gabled caps. Between the buttresses are two sets of unusual long rectangular lights in double-recessed narrow reveals, supposedly replacing 13th-century lancets, though at an unknown date. The west end has a gable recessed lancet offset to the right, which is odd if the south-east chapel was free-standing.

Interior

The porch is 19th century, with stone seats, arch-braced rafters, and a pointed south door with sandstone voussoirs. A stoup stands to the right of the door. The interior is complex, with plastered whitewashed walls and two-colour tile floors.

The tower has a low plastered stone vault and a west window with a 19th-century reveal. The tower arch is obscured by an organ loft. A flight of stone steps dating from 1865 comes down to the north of the tower arch, giving access to a tower door at first-floor level on the right.

The nave has an 1865–7 arched-braced scissor-truss roof. The nave south windows have 19th-century pointed rusticated stone surrounds to their reveals, and there is a concave curved splay to the left, into the shallow south projection (Williamston Chapel). The splay retains remnants of 19th-century painted decoration. A corbel sits above, and there is a cambered broad arch into the projection.

The nave north side has a two-bay arcade from 1865–7 in grey limestone with unchamfered stepped pointed arches on a central round column with a simple conical cap and matching corbels at each end. A carved head of Bishop John Lloyd serves as a stop to the outer order, over the column. The narrow north aisle from 1865–7 has rusticated stone surrounds to the reveals.

The plastered pointed north transept arch stands to the right, with a corbel to the left answering one on the south wall. Under the east side of the transept arch is a small squint opening through to the chancel. The transept has no south wall, having been opened to the aisle in 1865–7. It has a 19th-century roof.

The chancel arch is also plain and pointed, with two corbels over and remains of a moulded pointed doorhead high up to the right. To the right, partly under the arch of the nave south projection, is a pointed arch into the south-east chapel.

A stone step leads into the chancel, with 19th-century Gothic wrought-iron rails. The chancel has a high arch-braced collar-rafter roof of curved profile. The central Wogan tomb (see below) stands on a two-colour tile floor. Two steps rise at the east end. On the north side is a pointed arch to a vaulted shallow recess with an opening into a squint within. The north wall has a corbel, a rectangular window, and a square-headed shelf recess to the right. The south side has three plastered pointed arches to the earlier south-east chapel, and above them an ovolo-moulded stone course carrying the slightly broader upper part of the wall. Below the east respond of the arcade is a reset fine small medieval carved capital with a fluted neck and stiff-leaf carving, of unknown provenance, said to be a piscina.

The south-east St Andrew's Chapel has a three-bay arcade on the north side, but the rest appears to be 13th century, with deeply splayed pointed-headed reveals to the three lights on the east wall and the six on the south. Those on the south are very long, with sills near the floor. The west end has a partly blocked doorway to the left of a pointed arch to the nave, and a single light in a pointed reveal above. The roof has 19th-century arch-braced scissor rafters. Four 19th-century corbels run along the north side under a lateral beam. A pointed shelf recess stands on the east wall, right side.

Fittings

The font is 12th century, square, and whitewashed, with scallops and darts to the underside, on a round shaft and square base. A copper eagle lectern on a Gothic shaft dates from circa 1893. At the west end is a remarkable late 19th-century semi-circular organ-loft, on cast-iron columns with cast-iron railings. The columns have leaf capitals, and the railings are in a scroll design. The organ is by Nicholson & Co. The tower screen dates from the 1960s.

The pulpit is a simple Gothic timber design on a stone base from 1867, with open cusped panels. The pine pews have panelled ends ornamented with linenfold from 1867, said to copy earlier pews. Pews in the north aisle face south and have carved panelled doors to the rear pew. The south transept has a few north-facing pews.

The chancel arch has Gothic scrolled wrought-iron rails. There are two reading desks with kneelers. Open timber Gothic altar rails on the west and south sides of the sanctuary date probably from 1867. The altar, rails, and seats in the south-east chapel are circa 1965 in limed oak.

Stained Glass

The fine east window, depicting the Crucifixion with SS Mary, Mary Magdalene, and John, is in 14th-century style and was made in 1865 by Hardman. The north aisle east window, a two-light depicting Christ and St Peter, is from 1865 by Heaton, Butler & Bayne. The north aisle window of circa 1950 shows SS Margaret and David; the second window, a two-light of Christ, Mary, and Joseph, is from 1967 by Celtic Studios. The north transept window, a war memorial from 1922, is by William Morris of Westminster. The south-east chapel east has three long narrow lancets with patterned glass and a St Andrew panel in the centre light, from 1867 by Heaton, Butler & Bayne.

Memorials

In the centre of the chancel stands a table tomb to Richard Wogan of Boulton, mentioned in his will of 1540. The Bath stone chest has panels to the sides, the panels either single or pairs of lancets, interspersed with shield panels. The south side is divided 1-2-shield-2-shield-2-1, the shields bearing Wogan arms and the Milton rebus (a windmill and barrel). The west end has 1-panel-1, the panel with a scroll lettered RW, a coat of arms, and a bull. The east end has 1-panel-1, with Wogan coat-of-arms and a barrel. The north side has 1-2-2-shield-2-2-1, the shield with a square with small squares outside each corner. The grey stone top has a remarkable relief 'cross raguly'—that is, of naturalistic wood with lopped side shoots—and two blank shields, and is apparently reused 14th century.

The chancel south has a plaque to Rev D. Bird Allen (died 1831) and his wife (died 1841), and an alabaster scroll-pedimented plaque to Sir Owen Scourfield Bt (died 1921).

In the south projection (Williamston chapel) are Scourfield memorials: Lt J A P Scourfield, who died at Secunderabad in 1878; Lady Gertrude (died 1894); Sir John (died 1876)—a Gothic memorial by Gaffin & Co.; and Lady Augusta (died 1880).

The chancel north recess has a floor slab to John Iorden (died 1624). The chancel north also has a neo-Grec plaque to the Bowen and Philipps families down to Owen Philipps (died 1830), by the Patent Works, London. A black stone floor slab with fine carved arms commemorates William Bowen of Williamston (died 1686).