Parish Church of St Mary

About

A fine medieval church with tower of 14 bells, and over 300 embroidered kneelers depicting biblical scenes, local scenes, animals, birds and memorials to local people. The church was beseiged by Royalist forces and there is graffiti on one of the columns left by a soldier involved in the fighting.

The two acre churchyard is particularly fine with a splendid collection of 17 and 18C tombs and in their midst is a large pyramid tomb, final resting place of the mason who built so many of the tombs. The churchyard is famous for its yew trees, alleged to be 99 in number with legend declaring that if a 100th were planted the devil would destroy it. To mark the millenium in 2000, every parish in the Diocese of Gloucester was given a yew tree to plant - the new try, despite misgivings, is doing well! Each tree is numbered (there are in fact more than 100) and sponsored in order to help subside the considerable costs involved in maintaining them.