Church Heritage Record id18815

Nave with south aisle and south porch; west wooden bell-turret.

Mainly 14th century, probably with earlier work in the walls; the bell turret is perhaps 15th century. There was much restoration in the 18th century.

Although, from a distance, the church appears entirely medieval in character, from close it is clear that a great deal was altered in the 18th century. The medieval walls have been covered with roughcast. The windows are nearly all 18th century or later replacements. Their variety gives the church character though detracting perhaps from its architectural integrity.

The church is approached from the south, where an ashphalt path leads up to the gabled porch. There may once have been a medieval porch, but the present brick base is modern, so too the timber framing and roughcast gable head. The windows of the south aisle are of plainly medieval origin. There are three south windows all Decorated. The two east of the porch have two trefoiled lights each with two tracery mouchettesbeneath pointed arched hood moulding. There is,a single trefoiled light under a similar hoed moulding to the west of the porch. The window at the west end of the south aisle is of a similar pattern although the lights are cinque-foiled. But the East window, set in a 14th century opening is an 18th century replacement with a wooden frame, two mullions and a transom.

The 18th century wooden frames appear again on the north side of the nave, where there are three windows of very odd shape. The western one is set in the!uppetpart of a former 14th century door and is therefore placed low down in the wall. The old chamfered jambs and two—centred arch can still be seen. The middle one much further east also retains some medieval work in the jambs and cill but the window now has a semi-circular head which is wider than the medieval window. The third window is different again; although also of two lights, it is divided by a stone transom which extends right up to the segmental arched head. Three 18th century buttresses slope against the walls.

The south aisle is almost as wide as the nave and is separately gabled. The west end of the nave is dominatedby the weather—boarded bell turret, whose timbers extend down the gable almost to eaves' level. The turret bises squarely above the roof and is capped by a four-sided spirelet, also weatherboarded. Below the turret is a Perpendicular window of two trefoiled lights within a square head.

The chancel has not escaped restoration, although the fine east window has been well treated. Set in a 14th century opening with a two-centred head, it has three ogee trefoiled lights with flamboyantly cusped tracery in the head. This is probably a 19th century replacement and has been well executed. But the windows north and south have Y-tracery. The two each side are probably set in 14th century openings, but they show little sign of their medieval origin. The eastern window each side has a shallow pointed head; the western window is smaller and has a two-centred head. Between the two windows on the south side, a little to the west of the buttress, is a narrow 14th century doorway with moulded jambs and a two-centred head.

The general impression is rather stark. While the west end of the aisle has the font, a studded chest and a Christmas crib, the view eastwards to the altar takes in few furnishings, fittings or wall memorials. Pews and choir stalls are of light-colouredwood and plain in design. The wooden communion rails have spiral turned balusters and date from the 18th century. The altar ornaments (i.e. a pair of brass candlesticks and a brass cross) are stored underneath it. Behind the altar and extending the full width of the sanctuary, is a range of wooden panelling with fluted frieze dating from the 17th century. Above the panelling and each side of the east window is a shallow niche. Set low in the south wall is a small 14th century piscina with moulded jambs and a two-centred head. There is another piscina in the south-east corner of the south aisle. This too is 14th century but with a pointed trefoil head.

The church has quite a different aspect looking west, where the architecture is overshadowed by a powerful wooden 18th century gallery. A heavy wooden beam with a plaster Tympanum above, marks the division between nave and chancel, where the roof is ceiled and only the 14th century moulded wall plates can be seen. The nave roof is similarly treated and towards the west end, a little in front of the gallery, is a large tie—beam that rests on the south side on a plain stone corbel. This part of the nave is brighter on account of the two dormer windows set in the ceiling.

The baptistery area is paved with pamments and is panelled up to cill level with softwood boarding. The roof here is coiled as in nave and chancel and only the wall plates and tie-beams are visible. The south aisle is plain - there are no monuments on the walls, only a row of hat pegs. The cill of the south—east window has been carried down probably to form a seat - a 14th century modification which is found also in the windows of the chancel.