History

Anglican parish church, medieval, with W tower, nave, chancel and transepts. Tower is probably C15, but built in two stages, the nave and chancel are perhaps of C12 origins much altered, the large N transept was added in the C15. The evidence for the early date is a round-arched chancel arch said to be Norman in 1852, but rebuilt by the time Sir S. Glynne saw it in the 1860s, and the rough arched N door, other features are hard to date. The large S transept of matching size to the N transept was added and the Y-tracery windows inserted throughout in 1863. A restoration in 1876 reroofed the church, with raised walls and, oddly, substantially raised the internal floors, perhaps by as much as 1.2m, to odd effect on the surviving medieval features. In 1888 the chancel was restored and porch added. All the work between 1875 and 1891 cost £642. Some finely crafted oak fittings within of the 1950s, in the style of A. D. R. Caroe.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with close-eaved slate roofs. W tower, nave and chancel with large transepts, N porch and SE vestry. Y-tracery 2-light windows of 1863 generally. W tower is of two builds, with projecting course at mid height marking a break. Corbelled embattled parapet and NE stair tower with five loops. W side has blocked very low W door with rough voussoirs and C19 2-light window above. Above mid-height course and right of centre are some rough stone voussoirs of unknown purpose. Plain 2-light bell-opening with louvred rectangular openings. N side has altered 2-light bell-opening to right of stair tower. S side has a small projection apparently for a lost stair at ground floor level, a small single light at mid height and a single bell-opening. E side has two-light opening with rectangular louvred lights.
Nave N side has 2-light window with older relieving arch over, to right of gabled porch of 1888. Porch has pointed chamfered entry and a piece of C19 tracery in gable above, boarded roof within, and 1953 oak double doors with iron studs. N transept is windowless to W, has C19 Y-tracery large 2-light window to N and small one to E. Nave S has two similar 2-light windows, walling much rebuilt. S transept is windowless to sides and has Y-tracery S window. Roughcast lean-to vestry in angle to E with 2 light S window and pointed door up C20 concrete steps to E. Chancel S has C19 small cusped 2-light and Y-tracery E window. N side is windowless.

Interior

Interior stripped of plaster in late C20 and cement pointed, exposing rough relieving arches over original windows. Roofs of 1876 have thin arch-braced collar trusses, 4 to nave and crossed diagonal trusses at crossing. Wooden suspended floors. Windows retain plaster reveals. W tower arch is broad and low due to 1876 raising of floors, pointed with rough stone voussoirs, and some rough stones above, possible a relieving arch. The line of the pre-1876 roof visible above. Left of tower arch is half of a blocked round arched opening, perhaps a door. Tower has low rendered vault and low pointed stair door. Cambered headed recess where W door was, with C19 window above. N transept has chamfered NW angle and marks of lower roofline, relieving arch over N window. Plastered slightly pointed chancel arch. S transept has no arch but raised piers each side and four C19 arch-braced collar trusses to roof. Chancel has 2-bay roof of arch-braced collar trusses, on N side a cambered-headed recess is remnant of a squint passage. Damaged piscina in S wall, pointed arched door to vestry and cambered head to curved recess to right. Vestry has three good oak doors of 1950s with Gothic tracery: to chancel, S transept and exterior E door.
Fittings: Large stone C12 square font with tapered sides, retooled in C19, on round squat shaft and moulded base. C20 neo-Jacobean font cover of c. 1955. Tall oak pulpit of 1917 by the Bromsgrove Guild, octagonal with slightly inset panelled base and tall panelled upper part, with horizontal lettered panels under moulded top rail. Tall panels have traceried opening on W and S. C19 timber eagle lectern on twisted baluster, probably locally made.
N doors of 1953 have Gothic blind tracery with two shields and good ironwork. W tower screen of c1953 with Gothic oak woodwork and double doors.
Painted grained box pews with panelled doors probably of 1863, the bench ends with pointed shouldered tops, plain panelled backs and doors. NW corner bench with higher bench end. The box pews in the transepts face inward and overlap those in nave, the S transept has pews only in W half, an altar with kneelers on E side.
In chancel, fine fittings of 1950s and 1960s: two oak reading desks with kneelers and seats, another chair and kneeler, stalls with traceried bench ends and scrolls, typical of Caroe firm, also kneeler type altar rails with pierced tracery under top. Altar with pilasters and pierced roundel and matching panelling on E wall each side, returned on N and S, with pilasters. Small missal table.
In S transept some curious pieces of C19 carved oak are reused as bench ends, 5 in all, narrow uprights with dense carving.
Stained glass: E window 2-light stained glass by Kempe & Co, 1921, Adoration of Magi.
Memorials: marble plaque to Richard Mathias of Hayston (d 1835) and sister (d 1849).

Reasons for Listing

Included as a medieval parish church with landmark tower.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29505771

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas