Short History
There was a church on this
site long before William the Conqueror invaded
England. That Anglo-Saxon building has now
disappeared but you can still see a gravestone from
its cemetery built into the south wall of the
tower.
The earliest parts of the
present church belong to the Norman period. This is
the date of the lower part of the tower, with its
fine west door. At that time the building had a
north aisle, transepts -and an apsed east end which
was revealed by excavations in the early
1980s.
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The West Door
(Norman)
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Much of the
surviving building, however, represents work of the
13th century. This was when the spacious chancel
was built and the north transept assumed its
present form. The 'Adam and Eve' carvings on the
chancel arch were also first cut at this time.
Despite the problems caused by the Scottish wars,
the 14th century saw further rebuilding including
the south aisle arcade and the great window at the
east end. Rare fragments of 14th century glass can
still be seen in the chancel windows.
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The South Porch (13th
Century)
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Like many
English churches St Mary's had suffered a long
period of neglect by the beginning of the Victorian
period. Mould, rot and decay were everywhere. So,
in the 19th century, a series of restorations took
place to improve the building. Much of that work is
still visible today: the floors and pews date from
1853/4; the barrel roofs were built in 1879/81; and
the chancel given a new roof and raised floor in
1885.
By the early 1970s pressures
on space and changes in patterns of worship led to
the introduction of a central altar and
congregational seating in the chancel; a new organ
was also commissioned.
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Adam and Eve before
the Fall
Adam and Eve after
the Fall
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Scattered around
the walls are numerous memorials to early
parishioners. In the north transept, behind the
altar, is a carved slab commemorating Cuthbert Ogle
(d. 1655) who built Kirkley Hall; memorials to his
seafaring descendants are on the wall alongside.
In the chancel is a moving
inscription to Anne Byne (d. 1769) whose tragic
family history can be traced in the inscriptions of
floor slabs nearby. Set in the floor of the south
aisle is a slab recording the founder of the local
school, Richard Coates (d. 1719), whilst over the
tower arch is a Royal Coat of Arms, dating to
1815-1837, at whose centre is a rare example of the
crown of the kingdom of Hanover.
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Piscina -13th century
carving
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Royal Coat of
Arms
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13th Century
glass
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