Saint Alphege

enlargement from the late C13 until the C16, with some alterations in the C18, C19 and C20.

MATERIALS: the church is constructed of red sandstone with later work in grey sandstone, under tile and terne coated steel roofs.

The W face of the tower shows the line of an earlier nave roof, and the present roof of 1535 has had its ceiling removed but retains bosses.

The S aisle chapel of St Antony has a stone reredos of the C16 and a further piscina.

There is a repositioned C15 screen concealing the sacristy, formerly a chapel with a small piscina.

The chancel has continuous hoodmoulds above its windows, and in the spaces where there are no windows there are C20 painted wooden statues on carved stone corbels, and the hoodmould above forms a trefoil.

There are choir stalls to either side and to the S of the altar there is a piscina in an ornate carved surround under a damaged crocketted hood and the seats of a sedilia adjacent.

This has a rib-vaulted ceiling supported on carved corbels, and a fireplace at its W end.

A further opening from the chancel gives access up a flight of stairs to the Chantry Chapel of St Alphege, which is a tall space under a vaulted ceiling with large windows containing stained glass and a hoodmould above the windows matching that in the chancel and a piscina under a pointed hood.

The font at the W end is C13.

The pulpit is of the early C17 with blank arches and the brass lectern is of 1884.

There are hatchments above the tower arch to the Greswolde family and a brass chandelier of 1706 hanging in the nave.

The N aisle altar is a C17 chest.

There are a range of memorials from the C16 onwards including brass, marble and incised slabs.

The communion rail of 1679 has twisted balusters, carved foliage and pierced square panels.

The reredos behind the altar in the chancel is a repositioned C15 screen from the N transept.

There is stained glass throughout the church.