Church of St Mary, Far Street, Wymeswold (Grade I)

Medieval Parish Church, restored in 1844 by AWN Pugin for Henry Alford, vicar, and later Dean of Canterbury. Squared sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, quoins and parapets throughout. Perpendicular west tower of 4 stages, buttressed, with ogee arch to west door set in square, with quatrefoils in spandrels. 3-light window above, and paired lights to bell chamber. Lozenge frieze below embattled parapet. Corner pinnacles, and gargoyles. Nave of 5 bays with perpendicular embattled clerestory. South porch by Pugin with ogee arch capped by fleur de lys, and buttresses parallel to, and extending, south wall. Within the porch, a double shafted early C14 doorway. The north door is similar, within a 2 storey porch added by Pugin, steeply pitched, with copings, angled buttresses and ornate front with trefoiled lights and niche for status springing from ogee of entrance arch. Both N and S aisle windows were put in by Pugin and have stilted arches on corbel heads with hood moulds, and richly foiled tracery. Perpendicular chancel with 2 windows, comprising 2 ranks of trefoiled panel tracery, rising to a graceful sharp curve. East window similar. Small projecting bay to N of chancel contains the vestry.
Interior has nave of 5 bays, with an early C14 arcade of double chamfered arches on octagonal piers, with small foliate capitals. Internal stone work all painted white excepting the tower and chancel arches. Nave roof of cambered trusses with pierced spandrels supported by angels is by Pugin. So is the chancel screen, with 3 panels and traceried lights to each side, and the painted inscription characteristic of Pugin?s work. Chancel roof of similar construction to that of nave, but planked across the rafters and painted with stairs etc. One bay over the altar is additionally distinguished by quatrefoils, crosses etc. Sedilia in S E window recess also by Pugin, as perhaps are the encaustic tiles which distinguish the floor of the chancel. Other furnishings by Pugin are the stone pulpit, the font, and the wooden rails that now surround it, the lectern, the coronae lucis of the nave, which were probably executed by Hardman, and the doors and door furniture, in a robust, well timbered design. Various sustained glass windows, including the east window, by Wailes, the east window of S aisle, commemorating Henry Alford, and emblems in other windows, by Hardman. Under the tower, large Baroque memorial to William Leake, d. 1687.