The South Door and Porch

The arcaded south porch is much larger than the north and quite elaborately decorated with carvings. The door is medieval. The size of the south porch is a consequence of the need in the past to conduct some ceremonies outside the church.

Before the reformation, the church did not control marriage. Although it was a sacrament, it was based entirely on a pledge of consent between the two parties. When this lay aspect of the ceremony was performed by a priest, it occurred outside the church.

The porch was also used during the pre-reformation, for part of the Churching ceremony, a life-cycle ritual attended by a mother after childbirth.

When a penance was imposed by the ecclesiastical court it involved both an element of satisfaction and contrition. Satisfaction was imposed by making the penitent wait in the porch outside the church and ask the forgiveness of the congregation as they entered.

After an appropriate wait the penitent was invited into the church to perform their act of contrition. The inside of the south porch is decorated with finely carved fleur-de-lis, their association with the purity of the Virgin Mary is perhaps aimed at reminding to the penitent of the need to follow a more righteous path.