"The church of ST. MARY consists of chancel 28 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft. 6 in., with north and south aisles at its west end, clearstoried nave of three bays 41 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft. 3 in., north and south aisles respectively 7 ft. 3 in. and 6 ft. wide, south transept 15 ft. 9 in. by 12 ft., south porch, and west tower 9 ft. 4 in. by 8 ft. 10 in., all these measurements being internal. The tower is surmounted by a lofty spire. The width across nave and aisles is 30 ft. 9 in. The north aisle of the chancel is used as an organ-chamber and vestry.
The chancel was rebuilt in the French style of the 14th century in 1865, and its aisles erected in the position of former quire aisles or chapels, which had long disappeared, but the blocked arches of which were still visible in the walls. These arches were pulled down with the rest of the old chancel, but they are said to have been of 13th-century date, and two moulded corbels of the same period supported by heads, together with two fluted piscina bowls, were preserved and are now in the vestry. The whole of the north wall of the north aisle of the nave has also been rebuilt. The interior of the church had been repaired and reseated in 1848. The modern work is faced with coursed dressed ironstone, and the transept and tower are of ashlar, but elsewhere the walling is of rubble, plastered internally. The chancel and its aisles, the transept and porch have stone-slated roofs, but those of the nave and aisles are leaded and of low pitch. All the roofs overhang.
The earliest work in the building dates from c. 1170 and comprises the jambs or responds of the chancel arch and the east respond of the north arcade. The chancel arch itself is later and belongs to the period of the rebuilding of the chancel in the 13th century. The jambs have massive half-round responds with moulded bases and capitals with angle volutes and square hollow chamfered abaci, the space between the volutes being carved with simple conventional designs suggesting foliage. On the west side the inner faces of the jambs are enriched with late star ornament, and towards the nave there are slender engaged shafts with very early stiff-leaf capitals. The capital of the northeast respond resembles those of the chancel arch, though differing slightly in detail, and one of its volutes has been cut away. The arches, pillars and western respond of the north arcade are somewhat later in character, apparently c. 1190–95, though the difference in style may not necessarily indicate that any long period of time elapsed between the beginning of the arcade at its east end and its completion. It is unlikely that a north aisle and arcade of c. 1170 existed to be followed about twenty years later by another, the probability being that the building of the aisle was interrupted soon after it was begun and not resumed till after an interval.
The north arcade consists of three rounded arches with roll moulding and hood towards the nave and chamfered on the side towards the aisle, the soffits having a deep hollow between two bold round mouldings. The arches spring from cylindrical pillars with well-defined water-holding bases on plinths which are octagonal above and square below, and the capitals have octagonal abaci and are carved with early incurved stiffleaf foliage which becomes more developed on the second pier and west respond. Early in the 13th century, c. 1200–10, a south aisle was added, and the existing arcade is of this date. The arches are shaped like those opposite, but are of two chamfered orders with hood-moulds on the nave side, springing from cylindrical pillars and half-round responds with circular moulded capitals and bases, the capitals of the eastern respond and adjoining pillar being enriched with nail-head. The aisle wall retains no 13th-century features, though the masonry is probably original. The chancel may have been rebuilt shortly after the completion of the aisle, but all that has survived is its western or chancel arch, which is of three chamfered orders with hood-mould on each side, the middle order being very small. Before its demolition the chancel was without buttresses, and though it apparently retained no distinctly 13thcentury features, except perhaps the capitals of its blocked lateral arches, may have been substantially of that period.
During the 14th century new windows appear to have been inserted in the aisles, and it is possible that the transept was then added or an older one rebuilt. On its west side the chamfered plinth stops about 2 ft. from the angle, beyond which northward there is a square rubble plinth, and the upper part of the wall is also of rubble, the ashlar facing on this side being confined to three or four courses. There is also a portion of string-course below the eaves with roughly wrought enrichments, which may be of 13th century date. It is possible, therefore, that there was a transept here in that period, or even earlier, and that it was rebuilt in the 14th century. The disturbance of the masonry on each side of the existing south window shows that it is a 15th-century insertion. Internally the west wall of the transept is occupied by a wide arched chamfered recess 8 in. deep, now almost hidden by the Halford monument, which springs at a height of about 4 ft. 10 in. above the floor from chamfered imposts, and has a hood-mould with notch-stops. The claim that this is a 12th-century arch reused is doubtful. The transept is divided from the aisle by a pointed arch of two chamfered orders springing from the first pillar of the arcade and from a moulded corbel supported by a large notch-head on the south side.
Late in the 14th century, c. 1380–1400, the tower was added, and the clearstory is little, if any, later in date. The tower is built of Barnack rag and is of four stages marked by strings, with moulded plinth and clasping angle buttresses to the top of the third stage. There is a vice or spiral staircase in the southwest angle. The pointed two-light window extends upwards for the height of the lowest stage into the stage above, the bottom stage being very short; the third stage is blank. The pointed bell-chamber windows have transoms and are of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in the head, and the tower terminates with a battlemented parapet, crocketed pinnacles and grotesque gargoyles at the angles. The spire is of Ketton stone, with plain angles and two tiers of lights on the cardinal faces. The tower opens into the nave by a lofty arch of two wave-moulded orders, with hood-mould, the outer order continuous, the inner on half-round responds with moulded capitals and bases. The doorway to the vice has a fourcentred head. The clearstory has three square-headed windows of two trefoiled lights on each side.
The present porch and south doorway apparently date from the 18th century, and the aisle window west of the porch was probably altered at the same time, or earlier; it is a plain square-headed opening of two lights, but the head-stops of the hood-mould of a former window remain above it. The outer doorway of the porch has an elliptical arch of two chamfered orders, and is provided with wooden gates; the inner doorway is square-headed, with keystone and plain jambs. The roof of the nave is largely old, but is of very plain character with moulded purlins and ridge piece.
The rebuilding of the chancel in 1865 was at the charges of the Rev. Charles Halford Lucas, rector, and is of a somewhat elaborate character with vaulted roof of Ketton stone. The ridge of the roof is considerably higher than that of the nave, and the quire aisles are under separate gabled roofs running north and south. Internally the walls are lined with ashlar, the eastern bay, or sanctuary, being arcaded with a series of pointed arches on banded shafts; three of the arches on the south side are recessed to form sedilia. In the west bay are wide arches opening to the aisle and vestry, the roofs of which are of wood. The east window is of three lights with geometrical tracery. A gilded oak reredos (1896) designed by Mr. A. H. Skipworth, with panels by Sir George Frampton, is a memorial to Rev. Charles Halford Lucas, rebuilder of the chancel.
The font is ancient, and consists of a plain rectangular bowl with slightly bevelled angles, on a solid stepped base. It has a modern wooden cover (1897).
The wooden pulpit is modern, but the reading desk is made up of four old pew ends and other material; two of the stalls have old bench ends with carved poppy heads, and another has a human head.
The organ is by Samuel Green, 1787, and has a welldesigned case and gilded pipes. It was formerly at the Hall, but was presented to the church in 1867 by Richard Lucas.
The Halford monument, formerly against the north wall of the chancel, but now in the transept, comprises tablets to Richard Halford, 1627, Richard Halford, 1675, Charles Halford, 1696, Richard Halford, 1742, and the Rev. Richard Lucas, D.D., 1789.
A large painting of St. Christopher was found in 1848 on the north wall of the nave, between the clearstory windows, opposite the south doorway, but could not be preserved.
The royal arms of George III (1801–1820) are on a painted board. In the north aisle is a memorial to ten men of the parish who fell in the war of 1914–19.
There are three bells: the first by Tobie Norris (I) of Stamford, 1621, the second dated 1597, and the tenor by Henry Penn of Peterborough, 1723. A new clock was erected in 1920 in place of an old 'one handed clock,' believed to date from the time of the Commonwealth.
The plate consists of a cup of 1608–9; a paten of 1637–8; a paten of 1736–7; an alms-dish of 1717–18, given by Richard Halford in 1718; and a flagon of 1829–30, given by Richard Lucas. There is also a pewter flagon.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1585–1683; (ii) baptisms and burials 1683–1812, marriages 1683–1753; (iii) marriages 1754–1812. There are churchwardens' accounts from 1778 to 1847."
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