St Mary The Virgin (church Of England)

Chancel and flanking chapel and vestry steep roofs in old red tile

Tall Saxon nave, proportioned 1:2, with a sculptured Rood in Situ, formerly external over S door, of robed Christ

S wall pierced by 2 plain round arched openings in early C12 with multiple cable moulded impost on E jamb of W archway, possibly re-used from Saxon S door

In S aisle Norman S door with recessed order and colonettes, and blocked Norman window to W. C13 3-bay N arcade of nave into narrower N aisle

Late C14 N doorway of 2 moulded orders

4 carved heads as roof corbels

Late C15 windows, 3 3-light in N wall and a 2-light window in W wall

S aisle has a 4-light C15 S window, 3-light similar window at W, lower door and winding rood stair at NE, small C15 door to W of S door leading by winding stair to parvise over porch, late C14 clunch octagonal font with shafts worked on alternate facets of bowl, and in an arched wall recess in S wall the fine Purbeck marble effigy of a knight with crossed legs, mail hauberk, coif, chausses, long surcoat, shield, sword and closed flat-topped helm (said to be William de Lanvalei d. 1211, or his son of same name d,121?). Tall double chamfered arch into tower, with recessed reticulated tracery in 3-light W window

Late C15 bell-chamber openings above

Low pitched medieval roofs over nave and aisles contemporary, each of 3 bays with moulded principals, sub-principals, purlins and ridge, with carved bosses at intersections and provision for angel figures to be fixed with wings displayed on the lower part of each sub- principal

Wide C13 chancel arch of 2 chamfered orders has a C15 oak screen, panelled below and with 2 open traceried bays each side of central opening

Chancel has a trefoil headed early C13 piscina with dog-tooth ornament and shafted jambs, triple C13 stepped sedillia, C19 triple lancet E window with shafted rerearch, 2-bay C19 N arcade in elementary plate-tracery into NE chapel, and stepped sanctuary with patterning of encaustic and glazed coloured tiling in floor

Slim C16 octagonal oak pulpit

Royal arms over tower arch

Brasses: to Edward Humberston and wife 1583 in front of tower arch (palimpsest of John Lovekyn 1368)

to C15 man and wife, and inscription to William Bramfielde 1596 both in floor of N aisle

Wall monuments: to Gyles Humberston 1627, on S wall of nave, an aedicule with Corinthian pilasters, broken pediment, mantled achievement and man and wife kneeling facing over prayer desk

to David Gorsuch 1638 and wife, on S wall of chancel, a similar aedicule of 2 arches with kneeling figures

to Philip Adams 1803, on N wall of N aisle, a tablet surmounted by a draped urn, referring to tomb in churchyard (q.v.). A church of outstanding interest on account of its early origins, varied dates of development, the Saxon Road sculpture and the early C13 knight's effigy in the S aisle.