Church of St Mary the Virgin (EHER 35252)

12th century and later church. During ground reduction works within the tower a series of walls and other feature were uncovered suggesting that the church is earlier than the 12th century.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. St Mary's Church (C of E) [NAT] <1> Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin stands on the S side of the main road towards the middle of the parish. The walls are of flint and ragstone-rubble, with some pudding and iron-stone in the rebuilt S aisle; the dressings are of Reigate and other limestone; the roofs are tiled. Part of the N wall of the Nave is of 12th century date. In the middle of the 13th century the South Chapel was added to the chancel, and around.1260-70 the South Aisle was added and the S arcade of the nave built; the West Tower was built probably about the same time. In the 14th century or possibly earlier the Chancel was largely rebuilt and probably extended eastwards. At some subsequent date the S arcade was repaired and reset. The S aisle has been rebuilt more than once, and the archway between it and the S chapel widened. The church was restored in the 19th century, when the North Porch was built. <2> Church of St Mary the Virgin. Grade I. <3> During ground reduction works within the tower a series of walls and other feature were uncovered. Two flint built mortar bonded wall foundations were uncovered running east-west and linked by a N-S foundation 1.9m to the west of the naves western end wall. The E-W foundations had been truncated by the west wall of the tower and the nave and by the north and south walls of the tower. The N-S cross wall survived intact. These walls must predate the existed tower and it is thought that they may be Anglo-Saxon in date. Overlaying the early walls was a puddled clay and chalk floor about 0.75m thick. The existing tower arch was added during the 15th century probably replacing a smaller example. Inn the NW corner a Tudor charnel pit was present. These discoveries are interesting as the building discovered must be earlier than the 12th century and as the wall continued to the east a similar narrow building may have existed. Theses foundations relate to a pre-existing church and may well represent an earlier porch or tower. <4> Additional reference. <5> - <7>