St Mary's Church

St. Mary’s is a Saxon church and in the 600’s there would have been a wooden church on the site. In about 1050 the church was rebuilt in stone; today, only the tower survives of this work. In 1120, Merton Priory acquired St. Mary’s and the transepts were added; the canons of Merton may also have rebuilt the chancel and nave around this time, giving the church a cross-shaped plan.

The first aisles were added in about 1140 together with St. John’s and St. Mary’s chapels to the North and South of the chancel. The aisles were rebuilt at their present height and width in about 1250. The chancel extended several feet further East until 1825 when it was shortened to widen Quarry Street - at George IV’s request.

The church was “restored” in 1863 when the gallery at the West end was removed and much of the stone work renewed. The pulpit is Victorian and would have been used by The Rev’d. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) when he occasionally preached at St. Mary’s. The tower contains a peal of six bells. The organ is modern and was made by Saxon Aldred in 1988. St. Mary’s contains many items of architectural interest and significance too numerous to mention.