The church of ST. GREGORY consists of a chancel 45 ft. by 21½ ft., with a north vestry 16½ ft. by 12½ ft., nave 58 ft. by 21 ft., north aisle 16 ft. wide, south aisle 17 ft. wide, north porch, and western tower 16½ ft. square; these dimensions are internal.
The remains of the Saxon church consist of the ranges of windows above the nave arcades, which were discovered at the last restoration of the church. Of this building a unique feature was the high gallery at the west end, the doorways to which still exist in part, and could only have been approached by external staircases or ladders. A window in either wall at a higher level than the others lighted this gallery.
Late in the 12th century (c. 1170–80) aisles were added on both sides, the arcades being inserted in the earlier walls and the Saxon windows and doorways closed up. In the beginning of the 14th century the chancel was lengthened and entirely rebuilt, beginning with the east wall. The dedication of the high altar (and a chapel), which cannot now be located, at Tredington (Trediton) is recorded in 1315. (fn. 157) The west tower was erected about the same time. About 1360 both aisles were rebuilt and widened, the 12th-century doorway being reset in the later south wall. A block of masonry west of the porch marks the west wall of the north aisle, which was doubtless re-erected partly on the old 12th-century foundations, but both aisles were extended westwards to the tower about thirty years later, an additional half-bay being added to either arcade to match the rest. The clearstory, north porch and vestry are all additions of the 15th century, but the two latter appear to have been altered in the 17th or 18th century. The west wall of the south aisle also appears to have undergone a later rebuilding. Several restorations have taken place during the past century, the last and most extensive being in 1899.
The east window of the chancel is of five lights under a two-centred head filled with modern tracery; the jambs have shafts on the inner face with foliated capitals and with the arch are of 14th-century date. Internally on either side of the window are contemporary niches with moulded ogee heads. Both the window and the niches show traces of red colour. In the north wall are three tall 14th-century windows, each of two lights with a quatrefoil above in a pointed head having a moulded drop rear arch. The easternmost window now looks into the vestry. The 15th-century doorway into the vestry has a two-centred arch of a single chamfered order. The vestry is lighted by an east window of three lights under a square head, the moulded label of which has been reset with the vertical parts reversed, the return ends being turned inwards. In the north wall near the west angle is a small blocked window of two lights under a square head, set low down in the wall, its iron bars remaining inside. Above it is a modern window of two lights, and in the west wall a modern door. The three south windows of the chancel are contemporary with those opposite and of similar detail. Below the middle one is a 14th-century priest's doorway with a pointed head, and west of the third window is a small low-side window of lancet form. There was also one opposite, but this is now blocked and is not visible outside. Stone benches stopping at the low-side windows are built against the side walls in the western part of the chancel. The walling of the chancel is of ashlar; the two east and the south-east buttresses are of two stages, the lower with a gableted offset, but the other side buttresses are without the gablet. The chancel arch is sharply pointed and of two chamfered orders, the inner continuous from the floor, the outer dying on the jambs; the stonework is perhaps of the 13th century, but the arch has been subsequently widened, probably when the chancel was rebuilt.
The arcades to the nave are of three and a half bays on each side; the columns are round with moulded bases, square scalloped capitals, and chamfered abaci. The arches are pointed and of two square orders with chamfered labels on both sides. The half-round west responds of the original arcades were completed to form circular piers when the western half-arches were inserted in the late 14th century. Over the arcades and partly cut away for the arches are the remains of the Saxon clearstory windows. There are three main windows on each side, visible both in the nave and the aisles; the easternmost on the south has been opened out and shows the jambs to be splayed on both sides of the wall. The arches are of lias rubble and are chamfered like the jambs, and although they are roughly semicircular the voussoirs do not radiate from the centre, necessitating the insertion of wedge-shaped keystones in the crowns of the arches. The eastern jambs and part of the arches of both Saxon doorways to the western gallery remain in position immediately west of the third windows over the second piers from the east. They are of oolite stone with hollowchamfered jambs and semicircular arches, the continuity of the chamfer being broken by projecting square blocks or imposts at the springing level of the arch. This springing level is 18ft. above the ground floor and the heads of the windows 20½ ft., the outer arrises being about 2½ ft. apart. The windows to the west of the doorway on either side are higher than the others and apparently of slightly less width. The 15th-century clearstory has five windows a side, each of three lights under a square head. In the eastern respond of the south arcade is a corbel which supported the former rood-loft. The square-headed entrance to the loft is through the wall above the north-east respond, being approached by a stairway from the north aisle; the lower doorway in the east wall of the aisle retains its wood door, but the stair has been removed.
The late 14th-century east window of the north aisle has three lights with tracery above in a pointed arch and the north-east window is similar. To the north of the window in the east wall is a small square recess, probably once a locker, and near it in the north wall, to the east of the north-east window, is a large plain niche for a figure with a trefoiled segmental arch. The north doorway is contemporary with the aisle; it has a two-centred arch and a richly moulded segmental rear arch. The wood door is old and has vertical ribs studded with square nailheads. To the west of it is the 15th-century doorway to the stair leading up to the chamber over the porch. It has a four-centred arch and a wood door with a traceried head. The north-west window has two lights with a quatrefoiled spandrel within a two-centred arch, and is probably mainly a restoration. The west window has three lights and three quatrefoils above of a late 14th-century form under a two-centred head.
There is no east window to the south aisle. The first south window is very close to the east wall; it is original and has three lights under a pointed head filled with flowing tracery. Below it is a trefoiled piscina with an ogee head, a shelf and a multilated basin. The second window is old and of similar design to the east window of the north aisle. The south doorway is of late 12th-century date reset; it has two orders, the outer with modern shafts in the angles, the capitals of which are original and crudely carved with foliage. The arch is semicircular with a roll between the cheveron enrichment on the face and soffit, the cheverons being carved with foliage. The south-west window is of two lights with a quatrefoil above in a two-centred head, and the west window of this aisle is similar to the corresponding window of the north aisle. This wall has apparently been rebuilt and has not been reset on the former plinth, the northern part of the wall being moved more to the east.
The tower is of three stages with square buttresses to the north and south flush with the east face, and diagonal buttresses to the western angles. The two-centred tower arch has plain splayed jambs, on to which die the three chamfered orders. The stair turret recess is in the south-west angle and the west window has two lights with cusped tracery above in a pointed head. Below the first string-course on the north and south sides are small trefoiled loops, and on the west face a disused diamond-shaped clock dial.
The marks of the old steep gabled roof of the nave show on the east external face of the tower. The belfry is lighted in each wall by a window of two sharply pointed lights with a quatrefoiled spandrel in a two-centred arch. The parapet is pierced with quatrefoils and at the angles are square pinnacles with embattled cornices and plain pointed finials. Above the tower rises a tall stone spire divided by string-courses into three stages; at the foot are four gabled spire lights of two openings with a quatrefoil over. There are also diminutive lights near the top of the spire, which terminates in a carved finial.
The north porch is lighted on either side by windows; the western has two lights under a square head, the eastern was originally similar, but has been altered into three lights. Both have shouldered rear arches, the eastern having shields carved on the jambs in addition. The archway of the outer entrance has moulded jambs and head, with a wide hollow containing carved flowers with angels at the apex. Over the archway is a canopied niche with the remains of the figure of the patron saint. The bracket has three pointed corbels below. Above the niche is a blocked square-headed window formerly lighting the parvise. The porch has a plain moulded parapet and the roof is flat below and panelled with moulded ribs and carved bosses. The chancel roof is gabled and modern. The nave roof is of very low pitch and retains most of its 15th-century timbers; the tie-beams are moulded and are strengthened with curved braces and moulded jacks resting on stone corbels carved with grotesques. The roof of the south aisle is of the same low pitch and has a moulded stone wall-plate, the tie-beams being supported by braces and jacks on moulded wood corbels. The north aisle has old moulded tie-beams, wall-plates and purlins.
The 15th-century font is octagonal with traceried sides to the bowl. Across the chancel arch is a low stone wall faced with modern wood panelling towards the west, and above it is the remaining portion of the traceried 15th-century rood screen. The pulpit with its canopy is a good example of 17th-century work. The oak lectern is also old; the chains were formerly attached to the copy of Jewell's Apology, which now rests upon it. The church contains many 15th-century bench ends and pew fronts with traceried panels and moulded top rails.
In the chancel is a brass effigy of a priest with a marginal inscription incorrectly fitted together, the date and name being lost. This is given by Nash as Richard Cassey, rector, who died c. 1427. There is also a brass, with a kneeling effigy and inscription in Latin to Henry Sampson, rector, died 1482, and a figure of a lady in ruff, full skirt and puffed sleeves, with a fragment of an inscription, the only remains of a brass to William Barnes, died 1561, and Alice his wife.
On the west wall of the south aisle is a 17th-century painted scroll with the inscription, 'One thing is needfull. They have chosen that good part.'
There are six bells: the treble by Matthew Bagley, 1683; the second by Mears, 1858; the third and fourth by George Purdye (Purdue), 1622; the fifth dated 1624, and tenor (undated) by George Purdye with the inscription 'Drawe neare to God.'
The communion plate includes a silver cup with a cover paten, large paten and two flagons, all except the cover bearing the inscribed date of 1638. The hall mark on the large paten is for the same year, but the others have the hall mark for 1591; there is also a second modern cup.