St Martin Of Tours

The chancel arch, nave and aisles were rebuilt in several phases in the C13

The chancel is largely C15, as is the S aisle and the W tower

The tower staircase is an insertion of the C16 or C17

The nave and chancel roofs are red tile, the aisles and tower are roofed in lead

EXTERIOR: A long, relatively low church, externally largely of the C15 and early C16 but without the clerestory common to many churches of that period

The W window is C14 of 3 lights

The chancel was rebuilt in the C15 and has two light N and S windows and a 5-light E window with vertical tracery in a four-centred head

INTERIOR: The interior is plastered but some medieval wall paintings have been exposed

The core of the interior, including the chancel arch and both nave arcades, is C13, but it was extensively remodelled in the later middle ages

The mid C13 chancel arch is of 2 chamfered orders on semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases

The chancel is largely C15, but the scar of an earlier, more steeply pitched roof remains above the chancel arch on the chancel W wall

The 5-bay S nave arcade is early to mid C13 and has one square and one chamfered order on alternating round and octagonal columns

The S aisle was rebuilt and widened in the C15, but its roof was redone in the C16 to flatten its pitch

The mid to late C13 N arcade is of 6 bays, and has two centred arches of two chamfered orders on alternately round and octagonal columns

In the chancel, C15 arch braced and wind braced of 3 bays

In the nave C15 wall plates and braces forming 4-centred arches, the boarding behind has been renewed

In the aisles, roofs of the C16, both low pitched, with moulded ridges and tie beams

The spandrels of the curved braces are carved with foliage, and there are bosses at the main intersections

Liturgical Fittings: Late C12 Purbeck marble font, with a square chamfered bowl supported on a central and 4 corner shafts, the latter renewed

Late C15 piscina in the chancel and another in the S aisle

Pulpit early C17, hexagonal with a short, hexagonal stem

Floors: Some C14 tiles survive in the chancel

Seating: In the nave some C15 benches with moulded top rails and ends, two with traceried backs, one of which is renewed

There is a C16 bench with linenfold panelling in the chancel

Stained Glass: Mostly C19 and early C20, but in NW window of N aisle part of a C16 roundel with the letter M. In the chancel the NE window of 1953 depicts St Martin

Wall Paintings: Several medieval wall paintings have been exposed and others probably remain under the plaster

Monuments: The church has many good monuments, including a C14 incised slab to Roger de Sothcote

Two late C16 brasses to Richard Hawtrey (d. 1574) and wife, and to John Hawtrey (d. 1593) and his wife

There are also several other C17 marble wall tablets, and a large number of C17 and C18 floor slabs, to the Hawtreys in the chancel

Also in the chancel, a large, marble wall monument to Thomas Bright, vicar (d.1673/4) and to five of his infant grandchildren, erected by his son, the children's father, Jeremiah Bright (qv bread shelf) in or after 1696

There are also some C17 and C18 wall monuments in the nave

There is a very large collection of hatchments, mostly in the tower

The font is late C12, but the earliest visible fabric in the church is mid C13 and successive rebuildings have obliterated any traces of an earlier church

Ruislip was given to Bec Abbey in Normandy in the late C11, and the monks of Bec set up an administrative centre at Ruislip, although the parish church was never used as a monastic church

After the English property of all foreign monasteries was seized in the mid C15, the church was given to the Dean and Canons of St George's Windsor