St Mary

The present building is a Victorian rebuild. By 1875 the church foundations were so badly damaged by frequent flooding that the building was in danger of collapse. The entire building, excluding the tower, was taken down and rebuilt in 1877 when the floor was raised by six feet.

The church was once a large open space; a place of flickering lights, colourful wall paintings, processions, singing, animation and theatre. By 1730 the colour and excitement had been replaced by a more intellectual, plain form of worship. The three decker pulpit dominated the nave. There were heavy wooden pews and seating was allocated according to a pew plan.

At the rebuild all this was considered unsightly and removed. The pews we use today were installed.

Before the Reformation St Mary’s had three chantry chapels dedicated to St John the Baptist, St Catherine and St Nicholas. They were run by local guilds, which enabled ordinary people to participate in the life of the church in practical ways and so lead a fuller spiritual life. Prayers were said for the dead, lights were maintained on the altars; and colourful statues filled the nooks and crannies.

Most of the carving in the church is 20th century. The vestry screen depicts the Bible story of the ‘Wise and Foolish Virgins’ with their lanterns. Hidden in the frieze are a camel and a needle representing that ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’.

On a bright day St Mary’s is filled with light and colour from the stained glass windows. This gives a sense of the vibrancy of colour that would have filled the medieval church decorated with wall paintings, statues and lighted candles. The windows depict stories from the Bible, commemorate virtues and act as memorials. They proclaim the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as depicting the gospel writers themselves. The window by the war memorial struggles with loss through conflict and the window to its right celebrates a wife of noble character.