St Editha

most of church mid to late C14 following fire of 1345

late C14-early C15 west tower

C15 clerestories and roofs

Chancel has plinth and 6-light east window with king mullion and Perpendicular tracery, mid C14 crocketed hood mould with stops, flanking niches with crocketed ogee hoods and offset diagonal buttresses

C14 two-light south windows and C19 four-light clerestory windows, most with crocketed ogee hoods, plain parapet

3-stage tower has gabled angle buttresses incorporating stair turrets, plinth and string courses, C19 west entrance has hollow-chamfered architrave with arms of diocese and province to spandrels and Tudor flower, paired doors, embattled parapet to wall passage below 6-light window with Perpendicular tracery

bell stage has paired Y-tracery louvred openings, cornice with gargoyles, embattled parapet with crocketed pinnacles with wind vanes and truncated spire.

INTERIOR: chancel has three unglazed 2-light windows to north over three mid-C14 arched tomb recesses with cusping, all open to north chapel

crossing has round-headed north and south arches with flat responds, jambs of west arch have chevron moulding with C15 cusped panels to former arch abutments, squint to south aisle

north chapel has glazed C19 screen with brattishing, C15 panelled roof with bosses, 1882 sedilia and piscina project with cusped arches and gables, niches flank east window

south chapel has C14 two-bay west arcade with filleted quatrefoil piers, north wall has round-headed entrance to chancel with blocked deeply splayed window above and shafted buttress to vestry, C14 south piscina, C15 roof with few bosses

aisles have C15 panelled roofs with bosses, pointed entrance to porch with rib vaulting

FITTINGS: chancel has 1852 reredos by G.G. Scott and J.B. Philip, cusped arcading with marble shafts flanking five cusped gabled arches with mosaic, 1887, by Salviati, encaustic tiles to sanctuary, C19 traceried rail

nave has rich C19 timber pulpit with detached shafts, 1854 font by G.G. Scott, octagonal with shafted pier and enriched panels.

MEMORIALS: chancel has three tombs to recesses: to east, Sir Baldwin de Freville, d.c1400, and wife, chest with figures under gablets with pinnacles, inscription to cornice and two effigies to top

C15 tomb, chest with cusped panels and shields and moulded square balusters to angles, effigy of woman with kennel head-dress

to west, Sir John Ferrers, d. 1512, and wife, chest with Tudor flower and shields, Tudor flower to cornice and 2 effigies, the male now without legs

to north a wall tablet to Elizabeth Adderley, d. 1661, oval panel with flanking scrolls and foliage with cartouche to apron and segmental pediment with swan-neck pediment above

to south tablet to Henry Michel, d. 1629, and wives, round-headed panel

Thomes Willington, d. 1696, cartouche with Latin inscription and flanking drapery, apron in form of drapery with further inscription and armorial bearing above

north chapel has tomb recess with effigy of priest, Baldwin de Witney, d. 1369

C14 floor slab with indents for missing brasses

transept has fragment of C15 effigy of knight

wall tablet to members of Comberford family, d. 1671-1725, in form of drapery with Latin inscription

south chapel has wall tablet to Elizabeth Hood, d. 1899, in early C19 style with stole and weeping figure by draped urn and willow

north aisle has war memorial wall slabs

tower has large monument to John Ferrers, d. 1680, and his son, Humphrey, d. 1678, by Arnold Quellin of Grinling Gibbons' studio, chest with cartouches flanking trophy of arms supporting tablet with Latin inscription, flanked by free-standing kneeling figures in Roman armour, top sarcophagus with gadrooning, festoons, putti and flaming urn, with free-standing armorial bearing to front

tablet to John Clarke, d. 1818, weeping figure by tomb with armorial bearing.

Stained glass: medieval fragments to vestry east window

One of the largest parish churches in Staffordshire, especially notable for its Norman work and for its monuments.