St Mary's church is a very angular brick and stone built
building with a spire that used to be used by seamen as an aid to navigation.
The church is a Grade II* listed building and its entry, at the English Heritage
website (visit
link), reads:
"Church. 1714 rebuild of medieval church, tower
inscribed 1747, spire rebuilt 1861, interior restored 1876. Tower by L
Dowbiggin, interior by William Butterfield. MATERIALS: yellow brick with red
brick and white stone dressings; heavy dentil cornice with brick parapet above
to main building, stone quoins to church and tower. PLAN: rectangular plan with
projecting west tower, centre bay at east end projecting as sanctuary, later
1-storey extension to north east for vestry and hall extension to north.
EXTERIOR: main body of church 2 storeys, 5 bays with
doors at either end of south side (right one now blocked up) with
segmental-headed stone architrave, angel-head keystone and cornice on scrolled
console brackets. Short, segmental-headed ground-floor windows with stone
architraves and keystones and rubbed, red brick surrounds. Similar treatment to
tall 1st-floor windows with round arches. Tower of 3 storeys, 1 bay to each
face, has door in south side with stone Gibbs surround and cornice over. Ground
and 1st floor of tower treated like main church, frieze and cornice above 1st
floor. Tall 2nd floor with, on each face, a clock below and above a
round-arched, louvred bell opening with bracketed and eared stone architrave
with keystone. Balustraded parapet, circular Corinthian lantern stage above;
obelisk spire. Similarly treated, large round-arched windows to east end, the
wider central bay projecting and with pediment.
INTERIOR: a coved nave of 3 unequal bays with 2 giant
Ionic columns each side to aisles with flat ceilings. Segmental arch to
sanctuary, with C18 panelling and reredos with fluted Corinthian columns, later
C19 painted panels by Florence T Nicholson. Panelled west gallery with triglyph
motifs on slender wrought-iron columns with curled wrought-iron capitals.
FITTINGS: organ in original case with Doric entablature
and rococo ornament, by John Byfield, 1764.
MEMORIALS: monuments include: Captain Anthony Wood, 1625
with relief of 3-masted ship; and rococo cartouche
monument to Joseph Wade, King's Carver, 1743."
The church's website (visit Link) has a brief histry of
the church on its home page:
"Christians have worshipped on this site for at
least 1000 years.
The present parish church, replacing a 12th century building, was
completed in 1716. Designed by John James, an associate of Sir Christopher Wren,
it has a homely grandeur with deep roots in the maritime history of Britain. The
links with the 'Mayflower', with the Pilgrim Fathers, and with Prince Lee Boo of
Pelau, are particularly treasured.
The organ, built and installed by John Byfield in 1764, is a superb
example of 18th century English organ building. Its tonal qualities have been
retained to the present day, so that its sound is much as Handel (1685-1759) and
his London contemporaries would have heard and appreciated.
Memorials inside and outside the building tell of the vision and
philanthropy of former worshippers, of sacrifice, and of faith in times of
suffering and adversity.
St. Mary's remains a living and working church, supported by local people
and serving a broad community. Though you may not be able to be with us in the
flesh, we hope you enjoy your visit to this web site. There are many interesting
things to reflect upon, -church architecture and design, history, music,
memorial poetry and lettering, even a little philately!"