St Mary

The church was dedicated in 1261 but the present structure appears to be Perpendicular of the C15 except for the 1822 south wall and the chancel, which is 1846 in the Decorated style.

The arms of Bishop Lacy on a former font may indicate that building work was carried out during his episcopacy, 1420-1455.

The 1846 chancel has diagonal buttresses, a coped east gable and a 3-light C12 Decorated east window with hoodmould and carved label stops.

The easternmost bay of the nave, also 1846, has granite ashlar buttresses with set-offs on either side and an 1846 Perpendicular 3-light window with a hoodmould and carved label stops.

The other nave windows are presumably of 1822, 3-light Perpendicular with hoodmoulds and probably copies of the medieval windows they replaced.

The 4- light Perpendicular cusped east window with Y tracery has replaced mullions and carved C19 1abel stops but the tracery and hoodmould are probably late C15.

On the north side four 3-light Perpendicular late C15 cusped windows have fine original carved label stops.

The nave and chancel roofs are open wagons with moulded ribs and bosses, they appear to be largely medieval.

The chancel bosses are fine and deeply-cut with a variety of symbolic carving.

2 outer bays rise as elaborately carved gables, the painted texts and altar piece no longer exist.

The chancel has a C19 trefoil-headed piscina on the south wall and a timber dado incorporating panels of early C16 decorative carving that may derive from a secular source.

A fine early C17 Bishops chair in the chancel is said to have originated at Culver House in Holcombe Burnell parish (Stabb).

C18 timber drum pulpit with Gothic ogee-head panelling and an C18 carved panel of a cross and cherubs fixed to one side.

Fine timber eagle lectern of 1846 on a triangular pedestal with nodding ogee arches and draper painting.

The font is a circa 1846 copy of the original, an octagonal bowl carved with armorial bearings on a thick stem and moulded plinth.

The 3-bay tower screen is probably early C16 with unusual square heads to the traceried lights.

The east end of the aisle is the Fulford family pew enclosed by a low late C17 panelled screen which originated from the chapel of Great Fulford (qv), wall monument to Thomas Fulford, died 1610 and his wife.

2 recumbent effigies on an elaborately carved chest, a tester above supported on 3 Corinthian columns.

The figures are in an unusually good state of preservation and some ancient colour survives.

A wall monument of 1700 to Francis Fulford has an inscription panel flanked by Corinthian columns with armorial bearings above, below this monument a cartouche commemorates his wife, Margaret, died 1689.

On the east wall a Gothic Revival wall monument commemorates Baldwin Fulford, died 1847

A brass wall plaque with a Latin inscription commemorates Baldwin Fulford, died 1871.A Tudor arched tomb recess on the north wall of the nave with foliage carving to the arch and shields in the spandrels is likely to be a Fulford tomb.

The head tracery of windows in the north aisle and nave contain fragments of medieval glass including several figures of saints and seraphim, all executed by the Doddiscombsleigh school of glass painters.

The church has a fine medieval tower and arcade, tactful rebuilding work of 1822 and a fine early Gothic Revival chancel.

The Fulford standing monument is of special interest.

Dr C.L. Brooks and Dr D. Evans, MS notes on the Dunsford medieval stained glass.