Church of St Mary

Medieval parish church. Plan of broad W tower, nave, S porch, chancel, NE vestry and transept, boiler room at NW. Of stone rubble with ashlar dressings, slate roof with cruciform finials. W tower is embattled with rectangular louvred belfry openings, similar below; clock face is just below parapet; slightly recessed plain segmental arched W doorway; plaque recording late C17 rebuilding above; rubble quoins. Nave windows are C19 trefoil-headed lancets. S porch has plain pointed-arched doorway with a narrow chamfer and niche above; inside are stone seats, flag floor, plastered ceiling; narrow pointed-arched C19 main S doorway. Similar windows to lower narrower chancel and pointed-arched priests' doorway. E window is 3-light with Geometric tracery; late C20 additions at NE in traditional style. Boiler-house at NW is a single storey lean-to. Walled churchyard has a number of early C19 chest tombs and a kissing gate with spear finials to former Rectory.

Interior is mostly C19, rendered with exposed dressings. C19 nave roof is boarded with trusses of tie beam and angled struts; chancel has painted panelled ceiling with grid of narrow moulded stained ribs. W tower arch is segmental pointed arched, divided from nave at ground floor by a glazed and metal screen by Frank Roper 1981; benefaction board. Small octagonal stone font with alabaster stem. Figuratively carved wooden pulpit of 1902. Pointed chancel arch, the main mouldings rising from deep-cut foliage corbels. Unusual wooden chancel screen with thick cusped tracery mouldings, columns with shaft rings; rood group on rood beam above. One step up to chancel and 2 to sanctuary, which has polychrome alabaster reredos by Ninian Comper. Stained glass E window Hardman-style 1867; S nave by Lavers and Westlake 1896. Late C20 N transept with contemporary fittings. Three bells of 1882 from the Taylors of Loughborough foundry. Fine wall monuments on N wall of nave and chancel described from W. C17 monument to members of the Thomas family of Wenvoe Castle in contrasting marble/alabaster, black, ochre, grey and beige; central oval inscription panel with incised lettering and angelic figures in shallow relief in the angles; swags and heraldic cartouche at base, classical surround with attached piers with Corinthian capitals, broken pediment with reclining figures and a central group of woman and 2 children, representing the Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Early C18 monument to Thomas family in elegant 2-tone grey marble and stone; 2 inscription panels with unpainted cartouche below, cherub heads and drape above; classical surround with broken segmental-arched pediment with reclining cherubs and central heraldic cartouche. Tall late C18 monument to the Birt and Jenner families of Wenvoe Castle in white and grey marble; wide inscription panel flanked by pilasters with Adamesque motifs and a tall enriched urn above backed by a tapering grey panel. Other C18 plain local inscribed wall plaques.