St Chad's Church, Holt

The church is built in red sandstone. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave without a clerestory, a two-bay chancel, north and south aisles (the south aisle is wider than the north), and a west tower. The west end of the south aisle is used as a baptistry and at the south end is a Lady Chapel. At the east end of the north aisle is the organ, beyond which is another chapel.[3] The style of the nave arcades is Decorated, and the tower is also Decorated, but from a later date. Most of the rest of the church is Perpendicular in style.[5] The tower has four stages with a battlemented parapet. The roof is flat with a weather vane on the north side and a flagpole in its centre. At the corners are gargoyles. On the southwest and northwest corners, and on the north side are buttresses; a stair turret is on the south side.[3]

The font dates from about 1493. It is boldly carved and includes heraldry relating to the lordship of Bromfield. In the aisle to the south of the chancel is a Decorated piscina which has been moved from elsewhere. A memorial plate in the north chancel aisle is dated 1666.[5] The two-manual organ is a 1910 Norman and Beard organ moved from a redundant church in the North of England which was rebuilt and installed in 1976.[6] There is a ring of six bells which were all cast in the 18th century by Rudhall of Gloucester.[7] There are obvious signs of Civil War combat within the church: the west wall is pitted with holes made by musket balls, and the north door is pierced by three plugged loopholes, made for firing musket rifles.[8][9] The Crue memorial is a brass tablet commemorating Thomas Crue (d. 1666) with an acrostic on the deceased's name.[9]