| 15th century church with 19th century additions Church. C15, the tower of c.1486. The interior, vestry and clerestory by Shellard 1854. Hammer-dressed stone with ashlar clerestory and graduated stone slate roof. Nave with aisles, aisle chapels, south porch and west tower. Chancel and north vestry. Perpendicular style. 6 bay aisle (and chapel) with porch in bay 2. Weathered plinth and castellated parapet. Each bay has a weathered buttress and stepped 3-light window with cusped head and dripmould which is terminated in carved heads. The porch has a 4-centred arch opening, angled buttresses and castellation. 6-bay clerestory with windows of a similar design. 4-stage tower with angled weathered buttresses, stone bands, castellated parapet and crocketed corner finials. 3-light west window with Perpendicular tracery, clock face above and 2-light belfry openings. Stair turret in one corner. 2-bay chancel with 5-light transomed Perpendicular-style east window and vestry to north. Interior: nave arcade on octagonal columns with moulded heads. Braced tie-beam nave roof and arch-braced chancel trusses which are supported on enriched corbels. High Victorian alabaster pulpit by H Hems (1885). Former painted reredos above chancel arch. Chandelier (1755). Stained glass. Barrel-shaped stone font. Monuments: 2 early C15 recumbent stone effigies in Staveleigh chapel (south). Reginald Bretland (1703), semi-reclining figure on supporting plinth with latin text. Also inscribed slab to John Pycton, rector (1517) - defaced and no longer visible. A well positioned church which retains much of its Medieval character externally and dominates the skyline for miles around. |
