St Mary

The main body of the church however dates from the 13th / 14th centuries.

In the chancel you will discover six well carved misericords which date from the 15th century; these originated from St James Abbey in Northampton, suppressed at the Reformation. The scenes include The Fight between a Dragon and a Lion and The Devil Tutvillus eavesdropping. Wonderful lively scenes evoking late medieval England.

In the north chapel you will encounter more medieval works of art, including a stone coffin lid beautifully carved with tendrils and two tombs. The earliest is to Sir Philip de Gayton who made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in the 15th century and to his wife or daughter, Scholastica, a rare stone effigy of a woman.

Opposite this is the very unusual 16th century tomb to Francis Tanfield (d1555). It takes the form of an incised alabaster slab containing not only the deceased but also a run of his children and his dog. It’s attributed to the workshop of the Royley family at Burton on Trent.

Elsewhere in the church are a clutch of 18th century memorials and early 19th century stained glass.