St Mary the Virgin, Hanbury

St Mary the Virgin stands in the village of Hanbury, Worcestershire, a Grade I listed building whose oldest parts date from about 1210. The church mixes Early English and Georgian styles, built from sandstone rubble and ashlar with slate roofs and a west tower rebuilt in 1793. The tower’s lowest stage doubles as a porch, its ogee-arched entrance framed by a tall finialed surround. Pointed Y-traceried windows light the upper stages, and a panelled frieze with crocketted pinnacles crowns the belfry. The chancel, added around 1860 by G. E. Street, extends the nave with three bays and buttresses at each gable end. The church was the Vernon family’s place of worship and holds many Vernon monuments. The Vernon Chapel houses a large monument to Thomas Vernon by Stanton and Horsnaile, featuring a reclining effigy flanked by Justice and Learning. A marble relief by Chantrey commemorates Thomas Taylor Vernon, while Roubiliac’s standing monument marks Bowater Vernon’s death. The peal of eight bells, dating from 1678, remains in excellent condition. The churchyard contains the grave of Emma Vernon and a war grave of a Royal Corps of Signals soldier from the Second World War. Inside, the four-bay nave leads to north and south aisles and a three-bay chancel with transepts. Wagon roofs cover the nave and aisles, while the chancel and transepts are painted ornately. Pointed arches rest on circular and octagonal columns, some with re-used 14th-century capitals. The Vernon Chapel’s east window holds 19th-century glass, and the continuous sill string above the east window forms a hood. The church’s interior reflects its long history, from medieval stonework to 19th-century craftsmanship.