Parish Church of St. Mary stands in the middle of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone rubble with dressings of the same material; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The N. and S. doorways incorporate reused 12th-century voussoirs. The lower part of the Tower was built c.1200. The Chancel and North Vestry were rebuilt at the end of the 13th century, and the Nave, North and South Aisles and South Porch were rebuilt c.1320-30. The church was restored about 1865, and the tower in 1903. The church is of some architectural interest, and the painted ceiling over the E. end of the nave is an unusual feature.
Architectural Description
The Chancel (35.75ft. by 18.75ft.) is of the end of the 13th century, and has a largely restored E. window of four trefoiled lights with geometrical tracery in a two-centred head. In the N. wall is a late 13th or early 14th-century window of two trefoiled lights; further E. is a doorway with chamfered jambs and square shouldered head. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern similar to that in the N. wall and the western of late 13th-century date, and of two trefoiled lights with soffit cusping; between them is a doorway with double-chamfered jambs, two-centred arch and reset moulded label. The early 14th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two moulded orders with a moulded label, head-stops and a male bust at the apex; the chamfered responds have each a moulded capital resting on a bust-corbel and supporting the inner order. The North Vestry has in the E. wall a square-headed two-light window, with a shouldered rear-arch. In the N. wall is a modern doorway; higher up in the wall is a late 13th-century window of two pointed lights.
The Nave (54.25ft. by 22.25ft.) is of c.1320-30, and has N. and S. arcades of four bays, with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders, springing from octagonal columns and semi-octagonal responds, all with moulded capitals and bases; E. of the E. respond is the rood-loft staircase with a lower doorway in the N. aisle having a flat foiled head and an upper doorway with a segmental-pointed head. The clearstorey has, on each side, three windows, two of two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head, and the middle oneof two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; they are set above the piers of the arcades.
The North Aisle (9.75ft. wide) is of c.1320-30, and has an E. window of two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. In the N. wall are three windows, the easternmost of four trefoiled ogee lights with net-tracery ina two-centred head, carried up into an external gable; the partly restored middle window is of two trefoiled ogee lights with a trefoil above; the westernmost window is of two trefoiled ogee lights; the N. doorway has chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head; four voussoirs of the rear-arch have a simple saltire decoration, and are probably of the 12th century, reused. In the W. wall is a window similar to the middle window in the N. wall. The South Aisle (9.5ft. wide) is of c.1320-30, and has an E. window similar to that in the N. aisle. In the S. wall are three windows, the easternmost is uniform with the corresponding window in the N. aisle; the other two windows are similar to the westernmost window in the N. aisle, but the first of these has an external shouldered lintel; the S. doorway has chamfered jambs and two-centred head; the shouldered rear-arch has saltire-decoration on the reused-12th-century voussoirs. In the W. wall is a late 13th-century window, probably reset and of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil above; the moulded rear-arch springs from moulded corbels.
The West Tower (12.75ft. square) is of three storeys with a modern embartled parapet. The two lower storeys, forming one external stage, are of c.1200, but the top storey was added probably in the 14th century. The two-centred tower-arch is of one square order with remains of a chamfered impost on the S. side; the N., S. and W. walls have each a plain square-headed light, altered in modem times. The second storey has in the E. wall a blocked opening with a segmental-pointed head; the other three walls have each a loop-light. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a completely restored window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. Four heavy timber posts in the corners of the tower are carried up to support the bell-cage.
The South Porchis of c.1320-30, and has an outer archway with chamfered jambs and two-centred head. In the E. wall is a window with a triangular head.
The Roof of the chancel is of trussed collar-beam type with curved braces, and is probably of I4th-century date; it has been slightly lowered from the level of the original roof, the weathering of which remains on the W. wall. The roof of the vestry is of c.1300, and of two bays with three collar-beam trusses, curved braces and cusped wind-braces.
The early 16th-century roof of the nave is of seven bays with scissor-trusses and curved braces; one truss has a tie-beam. The two E. bays have a boarded ceiling painted in yellow, blue, black and red to imitate square moulded panels with bosses at the intersections, and a Tudor rose in the middle of each panel. The roof of the tower has three simple king-post trusses.
Fittings:
Churchyard-Cross: S.E. of chancel—square base with lower part of octagonal shaft, medixval; finished with 17th-century turned oak terminal.
Coffin-lids: In N. aisle—reused in sill of middle N. window, slab with round cusped cross-head; in sillof W. window, slab with cross-head formed of intersecting circles, late 13th-century. In S. aisle—in sill of S.E. window, slab with head of cross in circle, late 13th-century.
Communion Table: In tower—with turned legs and plain rails, early 18th-century.
Doors: In N. doorway—battened door in two leaves, perhaps17th-century. In S. doorway—of nail-studded battens with trellis-framing and strap-hinges, old round scutcheon-plate and wooden lock, perhaps 14th-century. In screen under tower-arch—panelled door with moulded vertical ribs and enriched top-rail, early 17th-century.
Floor-slabs: In nave – (1) to Thomas Harrison, 1675; (2) to Charles Hyett, 1698-9; (3) to Mary, wife of Thomas Rowdon, 1698.
Panelling: In nave – incorporated in front row of modern pews, late 16th or early 17th-century panelling with rosettes, dolphins, monsters, arabesques and other enrichments, from former gallery.
Piscina: In chancel – recess with ogee head, sill cut back, c.1300. In S. aisle – on slab-sill of S.E. window, quatrefoiled drain, 14th-century.
Plate: includes cup and cover-paten of 1613.
Recess: In chancel – in N. wall, with moulded jambs and cinquefoiled sub-cusped and roundarch, moulded ogee and crocketted label, 14th-century, tomb-recess or easter sepulchre, squint from vestry in back wall.
Sedilia: In chancel – sill of S.E. window carried down to form stepped seats and splays corbelled back.
Screen: Under tower-arch – madeup of early 17th-century woodwork perhaps from former gallery and incorporating turned and flat-shaped balusters, moulded framing, etc.
Sundial: On second buttress of S. wall of chancel – reset on W. side, part of incised dial, medieval.